10 Years of Waiting
by Kurohi Tatsaki
Summary: Yaoi&het. Hiei has left Ningenkai for 10 years now, & Kurama's still waiting for him. One day, he shows up, & Kurama still loves him... Then, things go crazy! Update: Removal of lyrics. If there are any chapter errors, please tell me
1. Day 1 Hiei's Return

10 Years of Waiting

by Kurohi Tatsaki

Day 1 - Hiei's Return

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH, but I do own a certain character near the end of this chapter! If you wanna use 'im e-mail me first!

Warnings: sThough I think this particular chapter would be PG-13 because there is a little blood and a swearword or two. This story is Yaoi! Male/Male relationships/romance! Don't like it? Then leave. Like it? Then I do hope you enjoy.

"speaking" thinking noise /quoted things in speech/ emphasis

Kurama's roses always smell best in Ningenkai's spring. Why am I here in Ningenkai? What else do you think, hn? Mukuro decided to let me off early to at least witness Keiko and Yusuke's wedding, though I never got to see Yukina wed that idiot she likes... but it should be okay as long as she's happy. But if that baka hurts Yukina, I cannot describe what I'll do to him! Just suffice it to say he'd be in a lot of pain - "a lot" being an understatement.

Come to think of it, it's been... a little more than ten years since I last saw any of them... even Yukina.

Hiding most of my ki, I flit to my familiar tree branch just outside of the fox's window. I crouch down and rest as I land. The scent of roses tickles my nose gently. Ultimately, I am eagerly drawn to it.

This tree I use has been used often, but not in a long, long time. Though, I can still see the scuffmarks I left over from previous visits. For that, I am a bit proud that I made an impact on the fox somehow.

I turn my head toward the clear pane that separates Kurama's room from this sturdy branch out here.

Hn. It seems the kitsune's resting on his bed, eyes closed. His long, red hair is in his face, delicately caressing his brow and jaw. Dark, long lashes veil green eyes that have been cast in the shadow of sleep. He doesn't even notice me at all, even with the meager amount of ki I'm letting slip through. He's gotten careless lately. Who would have thought that the most alert, cunning fox demon has dropped his guard so much? As Youko, his reputation and life would be at stake. If I weren't his friend, I'd probably get the drop on him.

Kh. The window's closed. Not that it really matters. I can always slip in and wait for him to wake... or I can tap on the window and make him get up. Long ago, I wouldn't hesitate like this about something as simple as opening a window. Even if it were locked, I sometimes broke it open, sending Kurama into flurry of smooth lies to his ningen mother about how some kid threw a rock through the window, or something of that kind.

...I think I'll just slip in myself. Just like old times...

I reach the window and try to slid the pane up. It doesn't budge even with my grip. Che... it's locked from the inside. Actually, I could use more force, but I'd wind up busting the entire window off the wall. I guess I have to tap, though I am still reluctant to do so, even though my mind is completely made up.

tk, tk, tk, tk...

His eyes snap open, lovely green, just like the leaves and stems of the roses he loves so much. Those orbs dart to the window, widen, and he quickly stands up to let me in. I get a good view of his chest and abdomen because his white shirt has been unbuttoned... and why am I staring! Hiei! Get your eyes off there!

In response, I close my eyes a moment to recollect myself. Why do I think in such a way? I probably shouldn't, but such thoughts bring me a mild level of contentment, so I guess I'll continue.

I hear clicks and other noises of the like as he fiddles with the lock rather frantically and heaves the pane open. I slip in after he quickly moves aside. I stand beside him. He doesn't close the window.

He turns to me and cries, "Hiei...! You're back!" He suddenly embraces me about my upper back, burying his head against my shoulder.

My body is assaulted by sensations. First pleasure, then a higher level of contentment, and then something else I cannot identify. After I recover from my shock, I slowly return the embrace. "Hn."He's overjoyed to see me... Come to think if it, I am, too... ...but I don't let that show on my face. Carefully, I keep it blank. What would he do if I were to show him just how pleased I am to see him?

"And just in time for Yusuke-"

"And Keiko's wedding," I interrupt. "Hai, I know. Mukuro let me off since things are decent in Makai," I say, smirking my trademark "cocky smirk".

"For how long?" he asks. He withdraws from me and sits on the bed, probably expecting me to do the same. I pause at this unspoken invitation and stare at the bed blankly. It looks half as welcoming as the fox's arms, but...

Then, something seems to catch Kurama's eyes, and said eyes dart across my form. I can pretty much tell what he's looking at, but I shove my uncertain feelings into a dark corner of my mind.

"A month," I reply after what it seems like an eternity. I honestly wasn't expecting this kind of reaction from my best friend.

He still seems to be preoccupied with something else: my body. I don't blame him. After all, he's a Youko. He's THE Youko Kurama: expert thief and the most sensual and seductive demon/Reikai Tantei in all the three worlds. The fox pauses before wetting his full lips and asking, "...Hiei?"

"Nani?" I ask, for once, looking down at him with my almond-shaped red eyes.

He stands up, and quickly compares myself to him. He takes one long hand and touches it to the top of my white hair strands and brings it, as evenly as he can, toward himself.

According to his measurements, the top of my head comes to his chin.

"You've gotten taller..." he murmurs, slight surprise evident in his voice.

I show fang with a small smirk. "So, you've finally noticed," I chide in a fake tone. I am definitely not scornful to him right now. How can I be? It's been too long.

Hesitantly, he grips some my ebony hair behind my head, still bound in white wrappings. My hair has grown very long, and is now three-quarters as long as his fiery-red strands are now. The strands slide with fluid-like grace between his fingers, but, for whatever reason he thinks of, he catches them again and repeats the process. I close my eyes into the sensation and desperately hold back a shiver as the fox gently, sensuously, yanks the tendrils of hair he holds and lets fall from his grasp in a continued process. "...I was... wondering when you'd get back..." he whispers, almost to himself. Has he gone insane in my absence or something? He never did this... I don't understand! All I did was come back!

Opening my eyes, I gently pry his fingers from my hair, my grip still lingering on the intruding hand. My fingers hold onto his palm as my thumb secures his hand by the back of it. "Fox... you're scaring me," I murmur.

Kitsune, what are you up to? I don't understand! All I did was come back! What could possibly make you so happy?

"But isn't the wedding tomorrow or something?" I continue.

He - reluctantly? I'm pretty sure he was reluctant! His eyes dimmed slightly - pulls away from me and nods. "Hai, Hiei," he replies gently. "Two days... Oh, I know this might sound odd of me, but would you mind coming with me to get us both some last-minute tuxedos for this grand occasion? I kind of... haven't been up to it until recently."

I can tell. Your sadness from earlier is all over this room. You can notice it, can't you?

Anyway, shopping? Well... "Then could we get some sweet-snow later?" I ask eagerly, a smirk coming back to my mouth.

This makes him laugh. Inari, he sounds so beautiful when he laughs... Wha! Did I just think that!

Well, I counter myself, it's true.

"Hah hah... yes, Hiei. But only if you go shopping with me first," he says in a "parent-negotiating-with-child" tone.

"Only if I get my sweet-snow later!" I insist.

...I sound like a kid and I know it. Kh. The hell with it! It'll be like old times! I'll do anything for that!

Hell, I've only grown about two inches in such a long span of time. I'm still, er-hem... vertically challenged. After all, I'm only 5'2"...ish, and only come two inches higher from his chest. So, it's more like we're eye-to-collar-bone instead of eye-to-chest. Not much of an improvement, but nevertheless, the kitsune seems relieved to see me.

"Okay, Hiei. We'll get your sweet-snow after our shopping."

My face breaks out into a full-fledged grin. Well, he sure knows how to convince me!

"Well, Hiei, what do you think? Gray or black?"

"Hn. Why are you asking me, fox? You know I like black. Why don't you wear the gray? You're the one who usually wears grays and whites, anyway."

He smiles at my comment. "But you look so NICE in grays and whites!"

Kh. "Nice" reads "cute" in large, bold, and italicized red letters. I'm not supposed to look cute! "Hn. Gray for silver kitsune, black for fire demon!" I retort. "You know me better than that!" I growl in a somewhat teasing manner.

"Oh, okay," he answers with a soft smile. "Hiei. My mistake, you definitely look better in black," he says, holding the suit up near my body to see how it might fit or look. "...It looks about your size. Try it on. Once you're through, I'll go."

I don't know why I agreed to this... oh, that's right, the sweet-snow! SWEET-SNOW! "Hn," I concede. I take the stupid piece of clothing and leave to go change. The sooner we're done here the sooner I can eat my sweet-snow.

I watch as your back retreats into the changing room. I long to touch you again, even if it's just your hair, or even your shoulder. I don't care where too much, but just, that I want to touch you again.

Why did you leave so quickly, Hiei? I thought that... No, no Kurama. No good to think about that...

...At least I had the memories to dwell on until your sudden return. I had long since started locking my window, because each time, whether I didn't, or did, you never passed through it, anyway. Even when I left it wide open for you to access my room without having to go through any barriers whatsoever, you never came.

...You never came.

Even when it rained, I left it opened. I was very lucky not to fall ill. There were several instances, mostly in the fall and winter. But, I couldn't NOT leave it open! I thought you might drop by...

But you didn't.

Until now.

I look at the suit in my hand. Gray for silver fox, huh? Well, it really doesn't clash... except maybe a little with my hair, but I've worn gray enough, and Yusuke and Keiko will not mind.

Hiei has gotten taller, and his hair's almost as long as mine! However, he's kept the white starburst of hair just as short as it always was, including his bangs. It's just the ends where it's long and locked in a ponytail. His ruby eyes have gotten a little more expressive over the years. I can actually tell a little better when he's happy or relieved - not that I couldn't to begin with.

When I couldn't, it was always a fun challenge to tell what it was he was thinking or feeling. Back then, I didn't have to try.

Now, I have to remember how. It's been ten years since I've ever seen his face.

Oh, here he comes. He looks at me as expectantly as he dares. I gaze at his form and nod once. "You were right, Hiei. Black for the fire demon."

He... he's smiling at me now! He only did that, maybe once before he left for ten years, and again at home a bit ago...

I close my eyes against the memories, then open them again, indicating that he should change back into his attire (I made him wear the Ningenkai clothes I had him purchase ten years ago – they still fit, believe it or not. I guess, even though he grew, they were long enough to last). After a moment, he comes back out and I proceed to change, myself...

I quickly strip my shirt, shoes and pants. My own body catches my eye and I smile lightly. My body structure has matured, and I look a little more masculine, but I still look very feminine - especially around the chest and hips.

I throw on the tuxedo as quickly and as professionally as I can in a short time. I look myself in the mirror and twist around in the suit.

...Well, it fits nicely enough. Let's see what Hiei thinks.

I exit, looking straight at him. His red gaze flits quickly over the tuxedo I am wearing. "Well, Hiei?" I ask. "What do you think?"

"I was right. Gray for the silver kitsune," he says. He seems proud of himself about that observation. Then again, Hiei is always a proud creature.

No, not creature... a god.

I chuckle. "Yes, you were right. Okay, I'll pay for this. Just let me get out of this tux real quick. Then, we can go out for sweet-snow," I reassure.

He says nothing as I go back into the changing room, pulling the drapes closed behind me. I look into the mirror on the wall one more time. Damn, I look good. Hiei wasn't kidding. Wait... since when did he have fashion sense?

...Probably since now.

I chuckle softly.

It's good to have you back, Hiei.

Very good.

"Do you like your sweet-snow, Hiei?" I ask. I want to know whenever he's pleased or not.

He looks up from his ice cream perched atop the cone. He raises one eyebrow (I can tell because his bandana shifts upward on one side) in reply, as if to say, "What kind of question is that?" and goes back to demolishing his ice cream.

It's always slightly humorous as he eats the sweet mixture of flavor and sugar. Sometimes, he gets some ice cream where he doesn't want it, and then he fights to get every last drop, because, in his childhood, I imagine it was difficult to seize food to last even a few hours.

Sipping thoughtfully on my vanilla shake, my mind wanders to ten years ago yet again. Yeah, there was a party.

A Karaoke contest, to be precise. It was us boys against the girls. Yusuke hadn't minded being temporarily left-out as Hiei, Kuwabara and myself sang Eye To Eye. Heh heh... Hiei actually had seemed to be enjoying it. Especially the, "I can get you" "You can get me" part.

Oh, and I loved it when he sang Marazashi no Aria. That song left me thinking, and it gave me a bit of insight about him even though I already know a bit about him.

Gods, Hiei. Do you know how much information that song you sang so beautifully gave me?

...Does he know that I love him? And I know that if I ask him just that, he'll probably leave again. No, scratch that – he WILL leave if I ask that. I don't want that. I never wanted that. I never asked for the loneliness I felt day-in and day-out ever since he left. I won't be able to stand yet another separation. It is in our wild, Youko nature to be around the ones we love - especially our mates...

...But Hiei isn't my mate...

Then again, he DID return, just like he said he would.

"What are you staring at, Kurama?" a deep voice asks. I blink, realizing that although I wasn't seeing anything, my eyes had landed on Hiei's face, and had been idly tracing it. I blink and gaze a little more certainly and with more focus at his inquiring face.

"...Nothing, Hiei. I was... just lost in thought for a while there. Sorry."

He frowns a little. Perhaps at my apology? Either way, that frown can look cute and scary all at once.

"Just like you were when I paid visit earlier today," he says. It sounds like he's chiding me. "You couldn't even sense my ki, and I didn't even mask all of it," he says a little contemptuously.

"Gomen ne, Hiei," I apologize yet again. "Had I known you were coming, I would have been wide awake and left the window even wider open." I feel bad about not leaving the window open, but how was I supposed to know Hiei would arrive at my house today? I may be a Youko who can predict moves, but I'm no psychic.

"Hn," he replies. "At least, if you close the window, leave it unlocked. At least then I can get in without disturbing you."

I blink. Hiei was being considerate, or at least attempting to be? Wow, is that a first, or what? "Sorry, Hiei," I say. "Even when I normally just closed the window, you never came, so I kind of lost the habit... I mean, you know, with such a long absence..." I reasoned. I missed you... "...I kind of forgot the habit..."

"Hn. So how hard did that habit die?" he asks slightly jokingly. He seems completely not bothered by the fact that I closed and locked the window. Now he's making conversation? Damn, he's changed a lot.

"It took almost three years..." I say softly. Some of me relives those moments of loneliness, expecting the red-eyed demon to come through that window with the little frown on his face. He usually came when there was a storm and he would enter my room, soaking wet and to the bone. The fire demon would shed his boots, scarf, sword, and cloak. By then, I would already have some spare clothes in the bathroom waiting for him, and he would change in there. Although I wished to gaze upon his nude form, I knew he was no exhibitionist, and would not appreciate my gazing upon him at a time like that. In the meantime, I'd have his wet clothes in the dryer, which would be dry a bit before the storm passed.

For which, he'd usually be grateful, and say something snide like, "I could have dried them faster without your stupid ningen machinery. Oh well."

On normal days, he would drop by just for the hell of it, I always assumed. He would be silent for a time as I did my homework near the window from which he came. Perched upon the sill - and sometimes, without his boots on, perched on my bed - he would usually comment with something like, "Why do you DO all that? You have enough knowledge to outsmart the whole stupid school! After all, you ARE over five-hundred years old!"

"If I don't, my grades will drop and 'kaasan will think I need assistance," I reply smoothly, looking up at the demon from my chair. "which means I get less time up in here. Neither of us would want that, right?"

"Hn. Whatever."

But... one day, we had that same conversation about my homework. He was perched on the edge of my bed, hair waving gently in the breeze through the open window. He hadn't removed his boots, so they rested on the carpet. The fading sunlight couldn't cast very good shadows because of the overhead light I had turned on a short time earlier, making the Jaganshi's face all the more brighter, and his eyes shine with great intelligence.

"I'm going soon," he uttered suddenly. His tone, monotonous as it was, seemed... reluctant. As if he just HAD to say that, or else he'd hate himself later. So unlike him...

I had sat up and turned around full-body to face him. My stomach lurched uncomfortably at his serious tone, though his voice always carried that air of seriousness.

But this was different - he had a greater degree of it.

"Why, Hiei?" I asked.

He gave me a look of downright seriousness to match his tone of voice, red eyes lazily piercing my own green ones. I let them, for this, I had thought at the time, would probably be the last and final time I could look him in the eye. "Mukuro needs me back. We might go to war."

"Oh..." I sighed. I hoped it wasn't a war against Yomi, which was a side I was committed to. Yomi had been my useless partner back in my days as Youko Kurama. He was always in trouble, and I always had to save him, so I had played a trick on him. Since I didn't save him from my own trap, he went blind. Soon afterwards, he gifted himself with six ears.

"I'll come back," he said with a confident gleam in his eyes. Oh, how I'd love to drown in those depths... But if I had shown too much of my love, he'd act differently and our current friendship would be ruined. I should be happy with just that, but... I'm not... But if I played my cards right... maybe... just maybe...

"How long will you be gone?" I asked quietly.

He gave me an uncertain look, and his low voice mirrored his gaze perfectly. "I don't know." He stood up and strode to the window to give me one of his little half-smiles. This one was bittersweet and not at its full length. "But, I'll see you 'round, fox..." He flitted out the window. All I could sense after that was a fading trace of his spiritual energy signature, or ki signature.

Months passed, leaving me in a depressed stupor, and at the most inconvenient times, I could hear him calling out to me, such as in school. "Fox..."

Damn, that had gotten annoying. I could never focus on anything for long... "fox ..?"

And to think...

"FOX!"

I blink several times and gaze at the fire demon once more. He's got a small mess around his mouth from the ice cream, which he's licking away every few seconds with an indignant expression on his rounded, but still adult-like face before giving up and using a napkin.

When he finishes, he asks, "Fox, what were you doing a second ago?" He now has his head perched in his left hand in evident boredom, which was also mirrored in his voice.

"U..uh..." I stammered. I hesitate. "...just, reminiscing."

His red eyes gleam with curiosity. "About what?" he asks after a mild pause.

"...Before you left... and after." I don't wanna talk about all of it right now... Please don't ask me, Hiei...

There is a silence that none of us dare to pierce. I stare blankly at my half-full vanilla shake, which slowly melts into slush. It seems my appetite has left me, but I force some of it down anyway, knowing it'll help me in the short run, then stand up. "Are you up for a walk, Hiei?" I ask with a sweetness and softness I hold only for him, and him alone.

"Nothing better to do?" he asks with a slight chuckle, standing up as well. I drop some yen as a tip and payment onto the table as I had stood up. "Yeah. I just had to get those tuxedos today... I had nothing else planned."

"That's a first, fox. You're usually well thought-out."

I nod in agreement. Too true, but not as of late.

We leave the building and enter the park after a block or two of walking. It has been a while since I walked through here. Actually, this is the place I took Hiei a week or so before he left. He had been tempted to flit among the trees, but I had convinced him to walk side-by-side... with me.

Great, I keep on going back there...

...but I like thinking about him, and even more so, being with him.

I look at the fire demon beside me and smile a little. I should not be dwelling on the unchangeable. I should be happy that he returned at long last. Maybe I could play my cards in a few days. After all, I do have a month, but I'm not quite the person to put things off to the last minute, like Yusuke or Kuwabara.

I'm definitely not like them.

As I gaze upon his form, I notice his compact torso has gotten a little more on the lean side, but just enough to show the effects of growth, and show off his muscles all at the same time. He must be "S Class" demon, now. I can feel the power radiating off his body, from his very soul. The details of muscles were evident because of the slightly tight black tank top he wore. He also wore tight-fitting black jeans and, of course, his white bandanna that hid his light-shaded, violet Jagan Eye.

That eye has several powers. It can send telepathic messages, control weak-minded ningen, and levitate objects.

"This place has changed," he commented after we walked across the gravel.

"Ten years would do that," I reply gently. But I don't think I've changed that much. After all, the only thing that changed was that I now have a job as a teacher, and am now helping to support Mother, my stepbrother and stepfather. My stepfather has a job as well, but, nonetheless, I help. "Some things die before the end of a decade," I continue. "and others are preserved, in a sense. Like trees. They live a long time, and once they've grown up, they don't change much except during the seasons. However, take grass for example, it tends to die during winter, but then is reborn from the remains in the soil in spring."

"Hn."

We continue to walk. The park, right now, is a little empty. My gaze flicks every now and then at the never-changing expression of Hiei. Every now and then, his gaze would gaze upon the forestry before returning to the path. It was during one of these quick gazes that his eyes met mine, and I was slightly taken aback. A shiver fought its way down my spine and I resisted it.

"Why do you keep staring? It's not like I'm going to run off."

But... that's kind of what you did. I'm scared that you'll do it again. "Gomen..." I divert my eyes to our surroundings. Nothing seems too out of the ordinary. For, which I am glad, for this place has housed something of mine for a full decade, being nurtured by the life around it, the sun, and my own energies.

In the distance, I hear a sharp cry of pain.

I stop moving and keep my breathing quiet and try to pinpoint said cry of pain. It seems Hiei has heard it, too. He has a look of vague recognition, and then a small smirk, which disappears quickly as his mask comes up.

Then, there is a different cry of pain - a much deeper one ahead of us. We follow these cries and come upon a harshly-created clearing. The tree stumps are both jagged and cleanly cut, the latter as if from a blade or something moving quickly, and the former, most likely, from the demon.

Yes, the energy! The energy is demonic!

A light brown-haired youth is kneeling on the ground, blood pooling under his crouched form. I could tell that the injury was to the boy's gut. It didn't seem TOO fatal. The other form, a large, horned demon, also in similar condition, but slightly better off. There were bits of missing flesh and scratches all over its face.

The youth stands up with a quiet wince, unaware of our ki, which we have masked completely. He speaks.

"Why do you insist on fighting me?" he asks in his semi-deep, but semi-girlish voice. His voice sounds strange. It's like three people are talking at the same time. It's like he's three different people - a masculine girl's voice. It's... strange.

A long tail drags across the ground in fashion similar to how I hold my Rose Whip, but it flicks with the emotions he hides on his face and in his voice. His hair is spiked and wild on the left side, and on the other, rather floppy with a little less spunk, but it's righted so it won't come undone, I suppose. The right end of it that sags starts near the middle back of his head and almost can't touch his shoulder. He has side-locks about half the length of my own red tresses.

"You are a rare crossbreed of demon," rumbled the youkai. "My master has ordered for your capture."

"Ara honto ni?" he says with amusement. "Well, tell him to make do without, or else I'll kill you right here, right now," he growls, cracking his knuckles.

"Then how will you hide the mess, including your own?"

His gaze flicked to his gashed abdomen before it meets the shrunken gaze of the demon's. A small, lazy smirk touches his face. "I have my ways. You worry about your own hide, for it may become the latest fashion no-no." He chuckles a little, showing tiny fangs.

Who is this boy? He talks like Hiei, but his stance is like my own. It's a graceful stance, standing straight and proud despite physical injury. His speech is clipped, like Hiei's, but it drags like one of those all-bark-but-no-bite demons.

"That is Kurohi," uttered the fire demon. "an upper A-Class Youkai. I am the one to continue training him to become highest S-Class, like myself, but right now, we are both on temporary leave." He turns his head and looks at me. "However, he knows we are here; he can sense what it is we are cloaking, so you might as well stop," he tells me as he lets his youki show itself. To be honest, it's enthralling. My urges come up twice as powerful, but I ruthlessly shove them down. I can't risk acting like I care more than a best friend should.

"Oh," I murmur absently as I control my desires best I can... especially with keeping it all in my pants. Hiei doesn't know it, but due to the long wait-period, his voice alone could make me come right now.

"Just watch and see what I taught him," he says proudly. I have to force back a shiver with all my might. "The stance he is using is related to unleashing one of his attacks. Just watch."

The boy fiddled into the muss of his brown and silver hair. He grabbed something and flung it out for us to see, beside him. He stood up taller, and cried, "Rose Whip!" The boy snapped into action, a rose elongating in one hand. Petals flew about him, scenting the area in a wonderful scent - the velvety scent I loved, my trademark - and thorns grew along the lengthened, six-foot-long stem.

"Rose Whiplash!" Kurohi flung the whip multiple times against the demon opponent. The lumbering creature dodged the blows - Kurohi pursued, unleashing strategic blows to the head, abdomen, and legs - and unleashed one of his own. Punching the ground when he landed forced some of the earth below the boy to come rising out of its own earth body in a jagged mess of rock, soil and grass. The boy tumbled backwards at the last second - though, he sustained a tear on his jeans - and landed beneath the branches of a tree.

The demon's next attack sends a boomerang of energy, cutting another tree in half. The falling log of tree tips and falls. The boy quickly rolls to the side as the chunk of forestry comes crashing down upon his previous location. He flits with amazing speed to stop on the demon's back in mere milliseconds, and thrusts the length of the whip with enough force against the demon's head, and down, splitting the skull and body of the beast in two.

It instantly falls over dead, and the boy lands in a semi-crouched position on the ground. He pants slightly, not from exhaustion, but from the fright of nearly having a branch fall on his head, I'm assuming. He smirks, stands up, and kicks the corpse contemptuously - already starting to reek - before incinerating with a flick of his hand. Once he's satisfied with his elimination, he makes his way to us. He turns his whip back into a rose, tucking it back in his hair, and shoves his hands into his pockets. He looks down, slightly, at Hiei.

"Hiei-sama, what did you think? I get out of that place that Mukuro calls palace and now I fight demons out for my capture?" His gaze, now irritable, narrows. "I have no idea what they want with me." He runs a hand through a few silver strands of star-burst-shaped hair near his forehead, and it reminds me of Hiei's own white tresses. It flops against his bangs, which dangle slightly into his eyes. His side locks trail down to a little past his shoulders, touching his collarbone, and the sagged side of his hair just barely brushes against his shoulder.

"Put two and two together," the sexy fire demon clips.

Oh, Inari, I think I'm gonna come!

"You've been trained under me - of course they're going to want you to join their ranks, willingly or not. I am rumored, and in truth, a powerful demon myself," He smirks at this. "so an apprentice of mine would also be sought out."

"Ah, I see," he replies, but he seems doubtful. His body language changes to amicable as he changes the subject. "Hiei-sama, that is one of your friends?"

"Yes. Kurama," Hiei says, giving me a proud stare.

...My heart both stops and melts at that look...

"A pleasure to meet you, Kurohi," I say, smiling. "Though, all I know is your name, so don't look so nervous," I reply, noting how his face has scrunched up in confusion and anxiousness.

He quickly goes to a casual expression, but not quite revealing much about his current emotions anymore. Just like Hiei, and in some cases, me. "Hiei-sama has told me about you. Best friend an' all. You're also in ranking with the Reikai Tantei, and an S-Class Youko at that. Hiei-sama told me one time when he saw me with my Rose Whip out that he knew a silver youko with the same ability, only stronger. He taught me the proper stance and said that he had observed the youko long enough to learn the stance by heart."

"Rather flattering of you, Hiei," I reply, grinning softly at the fire demon. I let my eyes wander back to the boy. He has a cute expression of confusion on his face for a split second before I ask, "How long ago was this, Kurohi?"

"Five years ago before now. He met me when I was Middle C Class," He chuckled softly for a moment. "He... /hunted/ me down out of Mukuro's order of detainment, and, with her permission, trained me to be one of her guards or whatever she needed me to do. A jack of all trades...

"To be honest, I was glad Hiei found me. He told me that as long as I remained under Mukuro's protection, I'd be safe from demon hunters."

"Looks like Hiei told you a lot," I comment in amusement.

The boy nods at my statement. "Yes." He blinks, pauses, and says, "Matte! Hiei-sama, that silver youko... izzat Kurama?" he asks, looking at the fire demon and pointing one index finger at me.

"Took you long enough. With realizations that fast you'd be dead now if he were an enemy," he replies with a smirk.

"Hiei-sama...!" he almost screeched.

I bit back a wince at his high tone. Inari, it's so high it's also low! It's so weird and it's hurting my head! I don't think I'll have to worry about my hard-on anymore...

He stomps the ground repeatedly in a slight temper tantrum, and yells, "He. Kept. It. CLOAKED! How was I supposed to realize that so quickly! My spirit awareness ain't as high as yours!"

"Yes, and with that attitude you won't get any better," retorts Hiei.

Kurohi is vibrating with anger, shoot him a bitter glare, and turns around in a huff. Blinking once, I run a hand through my long red tresses and then look at the black-haired Jaganshi. To be honest, he appears a little irritable. Reaching behind him, I gently rest my hand on his right shoulder to calm him. I resist the urge to hold him against my body. His ruby gaze darts up and meets my eyes. After a moment, he looks away and I hear him inhale sharply, but quietly. I hear him mutter nearly inaudibly, "Kuso..."

My gaze darts to what had startled the demon.

Kurohi is eyeing us both curiously with his big blue eyes. He raised one slender, dark eyebrow and chuckles softly in his medium alto, high baritone - or was it low baritone? - voice. He shoves his hands into his pockets and moves to leave, a slight skip in his step.

"He acts like that when he thinks he's figured something out," whispers Hiei, frowning cutely. I bit back a small amount of giggles, but I'm sure that Hiei felt my Reiki go up a little.

"Kurohi?" I ask-call.

He turns his head just enough to see us with one eye, half-veiled by his long bangs, which dangled to down almost as long as the bottom of his eyes. "Hai, Kurama-san?"

The corners of my mouth twist into a little frown as I contemplate this situation. How should I put this...? "Don't say a thing about what you think you might have discovered." I don't remove my hand from Hiei's shoulder. I can't believe I have almost forgotten what he had felt like... his warmth... his scent... pine and rain...

...Erotic... Maybe I should excuse myself after a bit so I can take care of some oncoming business. I, myself, am amazed I've avoided coming this whole time.

Kurohi laughs a little and a small grin crosses his face. "I won't say a word; if I did, Hiei would have more than my head lopped off. He's probably dismember me slowly, then find a very slow way to kill me besides taking me apart." He speaks as if talking about the weather. I close my eyes for a second, just a quick blink, and then the spot where Kurohi had been was empty. I only feel a few traces of his ki from where he had been a split second ago.

Hiei laughs. It is a rich sound and by the sound of it, he sounds very, very pleased. "By the way, Kurama, he's just as fast as I am."

I gawk a little at this statement filled with my favorite demon's laughter. Kurohi's just as fast as Hiei? No way... "Hiei?" I ask warily.

"Hmm?" he replies, still chuckling.

"Is Kurohi going to be a new Reikai Tantei?" I ask.

He smile-smirks... Not quite a smile, but fading as a smirk. "Glad you still catch on so quickly."

I guess he's glad my slowness to realize things was only temporary.

Again, it's great to have you around me again, Hiei.

I missed you.

End Day 1

Whatcha think? Review if you like, but I may become pissed off if you flame me. Wouldn't it just be easier to review in a calm manner if you don't like this? Vent your anger elsewhere. As of the afternoon of 3/17/03, the second chapter is half-way done.

The dragon never got his slab of meat rushing toward the prey! Be as patient as you can, because sometimes I tend to get writer blocks often. However, I actually think I can finish this one. If any of you have any suggestions for later events or a plot - yes, as of this moment it's almost plot-less because I tend to find plots as they come, and I integrate them into this. Basically, Kurama loves Hiei, but he's afraid Hiei'll run off if he says anything, and he has one month to say anything before he leaves to go back to Mukuro's palace… though I have nearly no clue what it looks like cuz I've only seen up to the beginning of Kuwabara's first fight in the Dark Tournament... the edited version on DVD. (grrrrr...) Most of my knowledge comes from fanfiction, the various bio's and episode guides I run across, so gomen nasai if anything's incorrect.

baka moron; idiot; stupid person

che damn; shucks!

hai yes

Inari (A/N: I've heard that this is the ruler of the youkos... If this is so, I'm going to say/assume that Hiei heard Kurama mention this several times, and has now incorporated the name as a part of his own vocabulary... Normally, I'd have him use the word Kami god/God, but I don't think he believes in that kind...)

nani what

matte wait

kitsune fox

gomen ne/gomen sorry; I'm sorry

ara oh

honto ni really?

kuro black

hi fire (Kurohi black fire, but Hiei flying shadow, when used in Kanji form)

Reikai Tantei (A/N: you should know this by now...) Spirit World Detective

I think that covers all the translations... Ja ne!

Revisions (in order of sessions, from newest to oldest. The "&" means one session over multiple days): 10/8/03 & 10/9/03, 5/27/03

As of 5/27/03, 7:16PM, Day 15 (I may put "a" on it and continue from there) has 2 pages going. Anyway, I'm going to try and revise and/or lengthen all other chapters and correct any errors. So check back if you like to see what I have changed or fixed.

As of 10/9/03, I'm doing revisions again.

5/15/04, revisions again. Just minor changes... like past/present tense stuff, and thoughts are more pronounced. Also, I want to know if any of you people out there like the changes. (You can compare them from my various bios on other sites).


	2. Day 2a Nightmare & Morning Conversation

10 Years of Waiting  
  
by Kurohi Tatsaki  
  
Day 2a - Nightmare and Morning Conversations  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own YYH, but I own Kurohi. This story is Yaoi! Male/Male relationships! Don't like it? Then leave.  
  
"speaking" [thinking] {noise} ****** beginning/ending of dreams ********* flashback beginning/endings  
  
-------------------------------------------  
  
Kitchen utensils clattered softly in the kitchen as Kurama prepared breakfast, which was rice this time. He felt like preparing something light this morning, as he usually didn't stomach heavy things too well as of late. He knew Hiei wouldn't mind, and appreciated all kinds of food made by him... even if he didn't show it.  
  
The previous night hadn't been much different than how it used to be. Nevertheless, it was something that the fox spirit cherished... in a sort of sick way.  
  
To be honest, he had had a nightmare that night... a nightmare he wanted to forget, and yet, remember.  
  
*********  
  
"Hiei, do you want to sleep inside?" called Kurama.  
  
The black-cloaked fire demon leaned against the rough, brown trunk of the tree as he sat on one of the highest branches that extended to the fox's window. A sliver or more of moon poked out of the dark night, but didn't dare show all of itself. Crickets chirped softly all around, but everything else was quiet save the two men talking. "I'm just fine out here," replied the demon, resting his forearms across his knees. The gentle breeze didn't deter Hiei's black and white spikes very much from their stuck up position at his forehead.  
  
The silver-haired fox drummed his fingertips against the windowsill. Though, that description is only true to his youko form. "You're sure, Hiei?" He sounded hopeful. He sounded desperate.  
  
The koorime crossbreed pondered which one he really was: desperate, or hopeful, or both? Now he doubted his decision to sleep farther from the kitsune on this branch. They were best friends, and probably shouldn't inflict pain upon the other. What kind of friendship would that be?  
  
Well, he decided that there was no harm in entering the room and sleeping on the floor. He'd be closer to the fox but not so close as to weird the other male out. After all, the last thing he needed on his mind was the condition of their friendship - was it strong or weak?  
  
Friendship... was that really all they had? And, exactly how strong was it?  
  
Hiei himself deemed it pretty strong, though he believed it to be petty. Friendship was only a crutch for the weak, and partnerships could be betrayed.  
  
...Then, if those opinions were actually true, what did *they* have?  
  
Slowly enough to be seen, he got to his feet on the branch with ease and slipped inside the window. He stood just inside the room, lingering near the window but far enough away so if need be, the fox could quickly close it. The green-eyed beauty rewarded him with a very pleased grin and murmured rather huskily, "I'll be a moment. I need to change."  
  
The fire demon watched as the elegant fox snagged something from his dresser and entered the bathroom. HE blinked, not understanding the huskiness in the fox's voice. Was his voice hoarse because of a ningen or youkai disease? Wait, they were demons - how could Kurama be sick?  
  
Following suit of the fox, he removed his cloak, scarf and shoes, setting them in a heap to one side. He left the window open, as he tended to like the sounds of the night and the gentle, soft and cool breeze in his face.  
  
The redhead came out in a pair of white pajamas. The short-sleeved, button- down shirt was only buttoned halfway from the middle to the bottom. The upper part exposed his collarbone and some of his strong, but still slightly feminine chest. The pants were baggy and he could almost step on the bottom of them with his heels. His bright green eyes took on an otherworldly glow in the moonlight peeking through the tree branches and leaves. Even more so as he sat down on the edge of the bed, moonlight filtering to caress those emerald gems.  
  
[He looks amazing in white,] noted the demon, taking in every bit of his friend's body and aura.  
  
"Do you want to be on the bed or the floor?" he asked.  
  
Kurama sort of regretted the options, as Hiei stepped back and sat down against the wall just under the window, and folded his arms atop his propped-up knees just as he had while on the branch. He simply stared at the fox. The demon saw a flicker of disappointment go across his wonderful green eyes, and then disappear as if it never was there when he blinked.  
  
The long-haired redhead then flopped on his back against the mattress almost soundlessly and stared up at the ceiling, knowing that the fire demon across from him was observing his every move. It was during these moments of insomnia that he felt that questions were best answered, as to put the one asking, and the one answering, more at ease. He turned his head slightly.  
  
"Hiei?"  
  
"Hn?" came the slightly drowsy, deep reply. It sounded like a purr to the fox.  
  
"What do you plan on doing here for a whole month on leave?"  
  
"A few things, here and there," said the demon enigmatically.  
  
Kurama was surprised he even answered in the first place. Then again, they WERE best friends. [I wonder what he means by that...?] He shifted so that he could look at the demon. "Like what?"  
  
He waved his hand to dismiss the question, his normal, blank façade still in place. "I might let you in later. Until then, don't worry yourself over it."  
  
[Let me in on it all later, huh?] he thought, a small, playful smirk playing on his face. [Well, I know one thing I was planning to do with you, but I'm not so sure you want that...] the smirk faded. [and I seem to have run out of things to say... except...] "Well, I'm really, really glad you're back, Hiei. I missed you a great deal." [There... I feel a little better now.]  
  
[Hn. Fox missed me?] "Me too." [Sometimes, I hate that half-metal-faced bitch... keeping me away from my fox...... Matte, "my fox"...?] His eyes opened slightly as he regarded the fox in question in silence.  
  
Kurama folded his arms near his head and rested his head more or less against them than the pillow underneath him, oblivious to the ruby stare. His eyes, by now half-lidded with exhaustion, slowly closed. His breathing gradually became deep and even as he drifted into slumber even with those red orbs almost permanently riveted on his face.  
  
The owner of those eyes mulled over the concept "my fox".  
  
******  
  
Kurama looked around in this sea of light blue mist. The ground beneath him seemed to stretch forever, as if walking on nothing and yet something with some sort of presence. It was hard and incapable of emitting sound. It was like walking on glass that, behind it, leads to an endless pit of darkness. Rather eerie...  
  
Shuuichi didn't want to think about it. However, his darkness didn't scare the five-hundred-year old thief. Other things scared the youko, but not this darkness, no, not yet, at the very least.  
  
Losing Kuronue was scary, though. But, that was all in the past.  
  
But, Shuuichi Minamino? He *was* Youko, but he was still human; nightmares sometimes scared him every once and a while, but it didn't seem that this would be one of those. It seemed like another premonition dream or something to pass the time with. Nothing serious to worry about at all.  
  
In the distance, he saw a dark figure with blazing red eyes and a purple iris between the red ones. The Jagan Eye was open and gazing at him, too... piercing his mind, his soul... He wasn't too scared about Hiei staring into his soul, but there was one secret that he desperately didn't, and yet did, want the Jaganshi to see. He wanted, and yet, didn't want, Hiei to see his undying love for the demon.  
  
No matter how much he tried to move forward, the ground was simply grip- less, and he couldn't move an inch from his spot. His attempts were fruitless in the habit of walking, so he called out to the Jaganshi, who's Jagan Eye was turned against the youko.  
  
[I wonder what he is going to do with his Eye open? I sense no danger...] "Hiei!" he called as his voice echoed in the dark purple and blue atmosphere. The figure in question blinked his blurred eyes and moved further into the mist with a slow turn, fading slowly out of sight.  
  
Kurama wasn't scared of this, for he had had dreams akin to this before.  
  
"Go away, fox," echoed Hiei's deep voice. Was it he who held the currently- redheaded kitsune at bay with his Jagan Eye?  
  
"Nani? Doshite, Hiei?"  
  
"Why don't you just start listening without question?! I don't want you here!" he snapped hatefully in his deep voice. That voice, though sexy, was also very frightening.  
  
"D-demo Hiei!" he protested, reaching out to him. He wanted to hold Hiei and ask him why he was acting like this, but suddenly, the seemingly harmless mist grew searing hot. It started to burn his flesh, and more importantly, his soul.  
  
He yelled in pain and bit his lip to stifle more cries. The reincarnated youko felt very, very frightened. Was he going to die this way? He didn't want to die this way!  
  
"Hiei!! Help me, Hiei, kudasai!!" he pleaded. That gave him no response, so he yelled louder. "Hi--------ei!!" The light mist tore at his body inside out, and he could hear Hiei laughing faintly in the background.  
  
The fox screamed, and he screamed even louder when he felt the familiar blade of Hiei's katana run through his chest, which... was dark gray and zigzagged? He managed to turn his head and look up at Hiei in a daze; eyes half-lidded with the encroaching darkness and terrible pain. The koorime's features were foggy. His eyes were even a darker shade than normal. They were so dark, they could mirror black.  
  
"Hi... ei... how... could you...? I... thought you... were... my friend......."  
  
"I have none, especially not from sissy youkos like you, you wimp"  
  
Kurama's mind then stumbled and fell to oblivion.  
  
******  
  
The redhead sat up abruptly, panting hard. He clutched his chest, the very spot where the dream Hiei had stabbed him and sighed in relief. Yes, he wasn't dead. And Hiei was...  
  
Near his face?!  
  
Kurama cried out and stumbled back in surprise. He fell a little, banging his head on the wall behind him. He gave another faint cry of pain and rubbed the back of his head with a mutter of, "Itai". He opened one eye from its previously closed position and gazed at Hiei in his daze.  
  
"Sorry 'bout that. Daijobu ka, Kurama?" asked the almost tender, deep and vibrating voice of the fire demon.  
  
Still panting faintly, he nodded once and closed his eyes again, trying to stop the tears that flowed from the nightmare. He didn't want Hiei to kill him with a blade like that! He didn't want Hiei to kill him at all!  
  
[Hiei wouldn't do that! Hiei's my friend!!] "Y...y-yeah... I'm okay..." He gripped his chest slightly again, and the other demon noticed this, and the pounding of his weak, but strong-sounding human heart. "I'm okay..."  
  
"Kurama, you're sure?" He held the hand that the fox clutched to his chest. He felt the human heart rapidly beating with the aftereffects of pain and nightmare combined. Usually nightmares didn't faze the fox. Usually, nightmares never inflicted such pain. Why would they now?  
  
Kurama's eyes remained closed in fatigue, but he pulled them fully open again once he was sure the tears had stopped. "Yes... I... I'll be fine..." [Please keep holding my hand... Hiei...]  
  
"Nightmare, Kurama? I heard you yelling in your sleep." Instinctively, he tightened his grip a little as he felt shivers course through the fox's body. [I've never seen him like this before... His Reiki's going haywire!]  
  
The fox hesitated. "...What did I yell?"  
  
"My name, for one. Several times." [Were you in pain, fox? Was I the cause of your pain? Please tell me I wasn't. Even if it was just a dream, I don't want to be on the receiving end of anything negative about it.]  
  
The emerald-eyed boy just now realized he was shaking. He tried closing his eyes against the horrible dream, but instead he just saw it happen a second time, and he opened his eyes, seeking the fire demon's.  
  
They met, and it was the koorime crossbreed that spoke first. "You want to talk about it?" [After all, you were shouting my name, tossing and turning in your sleep... l-like I had... like I... Please tell me I didn't...]  
  
"...I guess... um..." [Where to begin...?] "...It gives me the shivers just thinking about it... um, the area was kind of dark... you couldn't see the ground... though you knew it was there, supporting your weight. I saw you in the blue mist and called out to you... You told me to go away, and when I asked why... you told me to take orders without question. And then... the mist... it... started to burn me alive... I called out to you to help me, I kept on pleading... but you wouldn't help me... and then you... you..." Kurama paused as his voice cracked, and bit his lip against the tears again. He looked down, bangs falling into his eyes and shielding them from view. ".........y-you... you stabbed me through the chest..."  
  
[Oh, Inari-sama, I *did* kill him in that... didn't I? I couldn't have, for I wasn't even asleep... let alone talking to him through my Jagan.] "Kurama...... You know I wouldn't..." The fox didn't do anything except grip the sheets with his free hand in a grip so tight his knuckles paled. "Kurama, please look at me..."  
  
A tear-glossed gaze looked up. Hiei reassuringly tightened his grip on the kitsune's hand and used his other hand to hold the fox's right shoulder instead of holding the back of that long hand. "You know... you *know* I'd never kill you, fox. I would rather be the one to die first than murder my best friend."  
  
"H...Hiei... would you..." Kurama swallowed, his throat being very dry at this time. "...will you stay by my side for a bit, until I go back to sleep? Onegai, Hiei..."  
  
"Hai, Kurama," the demon yielded. He was more than willing to help "his" fox.  
  
Awkwardly, the kitsune settled once more in the sheets as the other demon released his grip on the redhead. After a moment, Kurama's eyes closed and Hiei, not knowing very well what he was doing, gently grasped a crimson tendril of hair that had strayed near his hand. He ran it through his fingers in the same manner Kurama had done the day before.  
  
[So soft... is this how he felt when he touched *my* hair? Pleasure coursing through his very being...]  
  
Wait, was it really day?  
  
He checked the clock; it read 3:11 A.M.  
  
Yes, day had come, but it was much too early to rise.  
  
Hiei settled himself beside the fox, his entire body facing away from the kitsune, and softly closed his eyes after giving him one long, slightly emotionless look, still pondering two words.  
  
[My fox...]  
  
*********  
  
"I forgot to mention, Hiei, that we've been invited to Yusuke's Bachelor Part y tonight..." said Kurama cheerfully... or at least as cheerful one can ever get in the morning. After finishing preparing breakfast, he set down everything on the table and became seated himself across from the demon. The fire demon instantly began plowing through the food. "though Yusuke didn't know you'd be here yesterday."  
  
"Hn. I suppose you'll be dragging me along?" he asked, swallowing a mouthful of rice.  
  
Kurama smiled. "Well... not necessarily 'drag'..." He picked at his food a moment before adding, albeit a little slyly, "More like... 'convince'."  
  
"Whatever," Hiei said with a slight shrug. "I'll go. You'll just get me to go along, anyway." [Though, it's sometimes fun to go through that whole "convince me" routine.]  
  
"That's right."  
  
The fire demon rolled his eyes. "Hn. Who else'll be there?"  
  
"Ah," Kurama thought about ticking the people off on his fingers, but decided against it. "Kuwabara, and Koenma. Rather a small party, but fitting, ne?"  
  
The Jaganshi rolled his eyes again, save the third one. Oh well, if things got boring he could always stare out the window. "Hn," he replied.  
  
Kurama's eyes roved upon the demon's body. His long hair had been tied into a messy ponytail this morning, and he still wore the ningen clothing from yesterday. His gaze lingered upon the fire demon's child-like, but matured, face.  
  
"Whot?" he demanded through a mouthful of rice when he noticed the stare.  
  
"Nanda, Hiei," he replied slightly neutrally. He couldn't let Hiei into any of his desires just yet. He didn't seem quite ready for a relationship. But, Inari, he could still smell the demon's scent on his own clothing. It was a sort of pine scent adorned with a unique combination of rain and other outdoor aromas, with the exception of flowers.  
  
His youko self was begging to come out. He could almost see the youko swishing his tail and whimpering like a puppy.  
  
The redhead laughed softly. The image was absurd. His youko self? Begging? That would be the day when Hiei started to hate using his katana and fighting altogether.  
  
That's right: an impossibility.  
  
He cast his gaze down to the table.  
  
"Kurama, have you taken yet *another* trip to la-la land?" [Demons'll come after you if you keep that up, eager to get a piece of the great Youko, Kurama.]  
  
Slightly startled, he forced his green eyes up from the fascinating, wooden design of the table. He chuckled at the question. "Yes, and I was particularly enjoying myself, but I prefer your company over that. My, how rude of me, ne?" He winked once in a flirty fashion and continued to eat his rice, oblivious to the slight rose coloring that appeared on the Jaganshi's face. He stopped for a moment and looked up just as the color drained back to normal. "Oh, and 'kaasan and the others won't be back for a few more weeks from their vacation trip to America."  
  
Hiei gave him a confused look, so the slender redhead continued, "At the time, I was more fascinated with tending to my roses, keeping things in order until they returned and going to work. Since it's summer, I get many weeks off."  
  
"Jaa, what do you do, Kurama?"  
  
"Em?" he stuttered, almost completely lost in the demon's voice before the question clicked. "Oh, I'm a biology teacher."  
  
"Let's just hope you don't teach those baka koningen about those Makai plants... I'm quite certain they might be eaten." He laughed at this before returning to his meal.  
  
Kurama feigned a look of indignation. "Of course not, Hiei. If anything, I'd be teaching Kuwabara and Yukina's daughter and son about those when they're older!"  
  
Hiei choked on the rice and clapped a hand over his mouth. He struggled not to speak until his mouth was empty of anything that could be consumed. "Th... they had **kids**?! Nah-ah! Nai hoho! No way!!"  
  
The youko chuckled softly. "Yes, they did. I'll introduce you to them during the wedding. And I'm sure everyone'll be happy to see you again, Hiei," he said softly, smiling.  
  
Hiei looked down at his now-empty bowl of rice. He set his chopsticks to one side and sighed. He rested his head in one hand, elbow propped up on the table. "I don't know, Kurama. I've been gone a long time. They would probably be furious at me because I left in the first place..."  
  
"They won't be mad; you're their friend," he reassured. "and besides..." He stood up and took both bowls and chopsticks. Kurama strode over to the Jaganshi's side, bent down, and whispered into the black-haired male's ear, "you kept your promise - you came back."  
  
End Day 2's Morning  
  
-------------------------------------------  
  
Hope y'all didn't get too impatient! This was going to be the party itself but it got too outta control and the fic you have just read was gonna be much, much shorter! Dun hate me! Anyway, I might make the next chapter a bit more humorous since I'm in the mood. Waaa~! NO! Not that kinda mood you perverts! ...maybe... Though if I ever did any graphic scenes I probably won't post it. Ask for it if I don't and you want to read... that kinda stuff. Though, when I write it, I tend to get writers block easily, and when that happens...  
  
daijobu ka = are you okay?  
  
jaa = so  
  
ko = baby  
  
ningen = human  
  
-tachi = (plural indicator... it looks like it's not used on nouns, so I removed it from "koningen-tachi")  
  
ne = right? (asking for agreement)  
  
hoho = way (pronounced houhou because the "o"s are long.)  
  
The secret behind Kurohi? I created him by watching Yu-Gi-Oh! and I realized that a certain thought wouldn't escape my mind. I wanted a character to have some similar personality as myself that actually might last long. I have several drawings of him, but the scanner don't work. His hairstyle, though it used to look like Hiei's, was actually based on Yami's. The silver starburst WAS based from Hiei, and the eyes from Kurama. Blue eyes came from the fact that mine aren't... or at least cuz Seto Kaiba's eyes are blue! Though, the brown hair he has is in a lighter shade than my own. In most of my fics, Kurohi has a transformation ability like Ryu's of Breath of Fire 1-5... though I never played 5 before. I also have a half-done Wild Arms 3 fic with Kurohi but I don't know a name for it. (JetXKurohi, but I'm also a supporter of JetXVirginia). The plot-line behind that is that Kurohi has been recruited by Janus against his will or else his family dies! Janus already killed his sister and when he sees Jet... Oh, what the hell I think I'll post that sometime today cuz it's a snow-day! YAAAAAAAAY~!  
  
And there might be one tomorrow so I'll get more time to work on next chapter!! R&R!! ......Onegai?  
  
Day 2a completed 3/18/03, mid-morning.  
  
Revisions: 10/9/03, 5/30/02  
  
If anyone wants me to send them a picture of Kurohi I did, e-mail me about it and I will gladly do so! Some are crappy b/c they were done of the computer, but since we have a scanner, I have several up for grabs for those who wanna see some nice eye-candy! (No, no nudes... yet.)  
  
BTW - that's "by the way", for those who don't know. Don't be ashamed, I used to be one of them -, I plan on removing the lemon scene so I don't get in trouble. Not to worry! As soon as I get old enough, I'll post it up on adultfanfiction.net! I'll have "Kurohi Tatsaki" as my user on that site, too, so you loyal fans will be able to find me! 


	3. Day 2b Bachelor Party!

10 Years of Waiting  
  
by Kurohi Tatsaki  
  
Day 2b - Bachelor Party!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own YYH, but I own Kurohi. This story is Yaoi! Male/Male relationships! Don't like it? Then leave.  
  
"speaking" [thinking] {noise} ~~~~~~ POV change ****** beginning/ending of dreams ********* flashback beginning/endings  
  
Yo, Scarby! As you requested, I've hurried with this cuz I've been running into inspiration, but I'm running slightly dry...  
  
Anywho, this chapter's got a lotta humor, so I hope you're not eating or drinking!  
  
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Here I stood on the treetop, hands shoved in the pockets of my jeans. If it were moonlight, my hair would be glistening in that light instead of the bright yellow of the orb that faded and came on a schedule. The setting sun soothes my mind, and I remember an adult form of Koenma telling me in his almost childish sounding voice, "I have been invited to Yusuke's bachelor party tonight. You may come if you like. After all, though your form is slightly feminine, you are, indeed, a boy, ne?"  
  
"Kh," was my reply. I had glared slightly at him with big, deep blue eyes. "Do not push you luck with my temper, Koenma. I do not do well when people tell me I look like a girl..." I had paused, and added lightly, arms crossed against my chest, "unless you're not referring to an insulting version."  
  
"Of course I wasn't insulting you, Kurohi!" he retorted. He sounded nervous, perhaps at my sudden change of tone. Or, was it just me? I didn't get it.  
  
I snorted. "Hn. I hope not. I will attend; I will see you then, sir."  
  
In a blur, I had left his office, which was, amazingly enough, clear of all paperwork today. Isn't that the strangest thing? Koenma, not, doing paperwork this morning! I usually see him at work all the time.  
  
It is funny... how whenever I see Hiei-sama, we tend to get along well enough because our attitudes are so similar, but... it's... kinda strange... Always, we know what we will say before we say it. It's like... we're the same person...  
  
Creepy. Very creepy.  
  
And I don't like creepy feelings. They make me uncertain and afraid; a trait that is counted as weakness in any smart demon's vocabulary.  
  
And Kurama-san? He reminds me of a female, then again, I also remind others of females. Twice this morning, I was mistaken for one... until I had deepened my voice and retorted harshly to those baka ningen.  
  
My normal voice sounds like a maturing boy that still has his high vocal capabilities. I sound more like a human male when I'm angry, or don't care about something, or when I force my voice to sound male... instead of that half-female sound I make when I talk normally.  
  
"Hn. Baka ningen..." I mutter. "can't tell between shonen or shojo."  
  
"Not all ningen are baka."  
  
I look down at my long-haired trainer. "Oh, Hiei-sama! Kurama-san! Kon'nichi wa!" I greeted vigorously. I jump down and land softly next to the almighty Jaganshi. "Hn, I was only referring to the few ningen that called me a shojo. Keh." I grinned slightly.  
  
"Talk to Kurama about that," my red-eyed leader said with a little drawl. "He deals with that more than I ever had to - on occasion, he was called a bishojo. I, however, was never mistaken for a girl, but a child..." A small, evil grin spread across his face at a memory. "until I threatened them."  
  
Kurama-san frowns and seems about ready to swat Hiei-sama upside the head, but he doesn't. He settles for folding his arms across his chest. "Hiei..." he warns gently.  
  
Hiei-sama snorts and his presence changes, as well as the subject at hand. He looks up at the redhead through the corner of his eye just before he speaks. "Aren't we gonna be late?"  
  
"Bachelor party at Yusuke's home, Hiei-sama?" I ask innocently enough. My little grin is gone.  
  
"Wha... how do you know, Kurohi?" asks my trainer. He gazes at me with bright ruby eyes that do not phase me anymore.  
  
"Saa," I began. "Koenma-sama told me. He said I could go, too. After all, I am a new Reikai Tantei," I reasoned. "Besides, it would be good for me to get to know all of you. Then I could, and would, work more efficiently with all of you," I said with my small grin returning.  
  
"Well, Hiei, it sounds reasonable enough to me," contributes the great Youko with a gentle smile. Youkai would gag and retch if they ever knew just how much Youko Kurama has changed. "I have Yusuke's address; let's go, shall we?"  
  
"Hai!" I reply eagerly. I wanna know everybody!  
  
"Hn," concedes my sensei.  
  
We made our way across many blocks, and soon came upon a brightly-lit house full of ... what was it?... rock music and laughter within. Kurama loudly knocked on the door, and an orange-haired man answered it. "Ah! Hi, Kurama an - UWAA! It's HIEI! Guys! Guys! Hiei's back! Hiei's back!" The big guy looked almost ready to faint.  
  
"Wa..?! Hiei?" A black-haired, brown-eyed male shoved his way past the oaf, sending him flying somewhere across the room, landing with a loud thud.  
  
The man is smiling. Neither of them had seen me. How odd of them, but I guess they missed the now slightly taller fire demon, who's height was now just under my own. "Hiei! So glad to see you!" His face fell a little. "You left on such short notice, though..."  
  
They gotta be on equal terms, or else they would be callin' him "Hiei- sama," like I do. That does make sense. They're talking like good friends, so they must be the original Reikai Tantei. This one... brown eyes and black hair... This one's the boy called Yusuke, I believe.  
  
"Hmph. Be grateful I even notified you at all *before* I left," said Hiei- sama curtly.  
  
Yusuke-kun seems to let it slide, perking up again. I unmasked some of my ki and I think it whacked him in the face with the force of a Rei Gan. His gaze darted to my form, which was a few inches higher than Hiei. "Oi, gomen ne I didn't see ya there. You're...?"  
  
"A new Reikai Tantei, hired by me, of course," answered a calm voice behind Yusuke-kun before I could answer. It was Koenma-sama... holding a wineglass of sake in his left hand.  
  
Whoa, Koenma-sama isn't dressed formally at all!! Well, I'll be damned... I think I'm drooling.  
  
"His name is Kurohi," he says in his silky, beautiful voice.  
  
Damn it... my face has gotten very, very hot... I think I just might go crazy if Koenma-sama ain't careful...  
  
"He tells me he cannot remember his last name, and he gets very touchy if you ask about it. Am I right?" he asks me.  
  
I yanked my full gaze from his gold eyes and turned it into a sideways observation from the tips of his medium brown hair to his full lips glossed with sake... Oh, Kami... I swallow my drool. "H-hai, Koenma-sama," I reply a little huskily. Damn it Kurohi, get your head outta the gutter! You're a kid of seventeen years and he's a god that's still second-in-command of the spirit world and he's lived longer than you have so these things NEVER work out! You're not even eternal, baka!  
  
Besides, he's not THAT hot...  
  
......Urgh, I hate lying blindly to myself. I've known Koenma-sama a little longer than I knew Hiei... though at the time, we were at unfriendly terms.  
  
"Okay! Since you decided to show up, come in! Come in!" ushered Yusuke-kun. I just realized he held a bottle of sake in his right hand. He wore a green, button-down shirt that was done up except for the first five buttons. He wore dark blue slacks and was barefoot. His hair was slicked back and some of the strands stuck up while some of his bangs dangled near his eyes.  
  
I eye the other occupants. The large orange-haired man was sitting on the couch eating popcorn. He wore all blue - a short-sleeved shirt and jeans was watching some sort of action movie.  
  
Hellooo...  
  
Hiding a smirk behind a blank wall, I saunter over to the oaf. "Em, Kuwabara-kun, ne?" I asked politely. I'm pretty sure this one's Kuwabara.  
  
"Yeah," he replies calmly, gaze flicking to mine before going back to the TV.  
  
"Lemme have somma that an' move o'er," I demand, enhancing my deeper tones.  
  
He looks up and glares at me. "Make me!"  
  
"You asked fer it!" Grabbing the human's forearm, I leaned back to pull him with me, and flung him to the floor near the couch. I stared at him in sheer boredom.  
  
He stood up and growled at me. "You'll pay for that!" He tried to punch me... and I stepped gently to the side, onto the top of the couch, sending him crashing to the floor. I smirked as he fell.  
  
THAT was fun! Try and hit me again, Kuwabara!  
  
"Looks like we got another Hiei... only he's not short," I heard Yusuke-kun say.  
  
"Hn!" replied Hiei-sama, scowling at his leader. I know this because Koenma- sama told me that Yusuke was the ringleader of this little group.  
  
Kuwabara-kun slowly got to his feet as I took his spot on the couch, already imprinted some by his heavy weight. Hiei-sama laughed.  
  
The big oaf drew his fist again, but Hiei-sama interrupted, "You can't touch Kurohi, Kuwabara. He was trained under me, and is now an A-Class Demon."  
  
"Wha?!"  
  
I smirked up at him. "Frightened, ningen? Yeah, Hiei-sama taught me what I know for many years. Stepping gently to the side was one of those things that came naturally to me." I stuck my tongue out at him and blew raspberry.  
  
"Hiei, besides what he just did, you sure did a good job teaching him to act like you," commented the leader before sipping more sake.  
  
"Hn," Hiei-sama replied to the ex-delinquent, who-was-*the*-toughest-in- Sarayashiki-Junior-High. "I never taught him to act like me. He already had acted like me the day I met him. He was cold and calculating. When we fought, he'd sometimes toy with me, and at other times he would just go for his would-be victory quickly."  
  
"Yeah!" I piped in. "An' Hiei-sama's hair was shorter then! It looked like one of the black flames he launched at me sometimes! Then he grew it out for a couple years." I now had my foot on Kuwabara's face. I laughed and popped some more pieces of popcorn in my mouth and continued to hold the second-best-fighter-in-Sarayashiki-Junior-High down with my foot. Actually, no, the front of my foot. "But you guys are adults and I'm not. According to ningen rules, I can't drink... yet."  
  
"You're A-Class Demon," the ex-flame-haired youkai said in exasperation. "We have high resistance to illness. Drink all you want."  
  
"No thanks, Hiei-sama, but I'd like to stay sober," I reply. I want to remember all this fun! "I think I'll grab some cola..." ...and then I'll go hyper with all the sugar... "once I'm done with this big oaf."  
  
"Kurohi, I would hate to break your fun but wouldn't it be even more fun to play some... games?" asks Yusuke-kun.  
  
I immediately drop Kazuma Kuwabara and grin evilly. "What **kind** of games?" I ask just as evilly.  
  
"Ooh! Truth Or Dare! Truth Or Dare!" piped Kuwabara-kun. I swat him on the back of his head, causing his oval-shaped head to fly forward with the impact.  
  
"Don't hit him too hard, Kurohi. He's my brother-in-law," dryly says Hiei- sama.  
  
I look up, but make no comment. I nod in silence and place the popcorn bowl aside, onto a coffee table.  
  
"Oh, and since these are good friends of mine, you don't need to hide your tail."  
  
"TAIL?!!" the others pipe... well, except for Koenma-sama. He just sips absently at his sake while he sits on a cushiony chair, feet propped up on the table in front of him. He eyes me with one open, sexy eye, while the other one is closed.  
  
My heart rate speeds up despite my attempts to control it.  
  
...He's hot, wait, did I just think that?! Head outta the gutter, Kurohi! ......again. "Yeah, I have a tail," I murmur, letting it slide through the small hole in my pants. I cover it by wearing shirts a little too large for my form. It is orange and striped, much like a tiger's. There's only one stripe near the end, and two blobs of black at both the base and tip. "But don't let this extension of myself disturb any of you," I say quietly. "Onegai..."  
  
"Don't fret at all," replies the green-eyed beauty. "After all, the only human one is Kuwabara."  
  
This bit of encouragement from Kurama-san perks me up. "Okay... let's play that game, shall we?" I pop my fists one at a time. "Truth Or Dare, huh? C'mon, let's play!!"  
  
~~~~~~  
  
Lit by only the dimmed light in the middle of Yusuke's living room, the six men sat in a lopsided circle. Yusuke sat at the head of this, with Kuwabara and Koenma to his left. To his right sat Kurama, Hiei and Kurohi, in that order. Everyone save Kurohi now had sake.  
  
Hiei got the bottle (A/N: Oh, no... people, I wonder what would happen if he got really, really drunk?); Kurohi got the remains of the two-liter Pepsi jug, and was now attempting to NOT bounce around the room in a sugar- induced rush hyperness.  
  
"Yusuke should go first," suggested Kurohi, who sat on his legs; his tail was tucked alongside his thighs. It twitched excitedly every half-second, courtesy of the Pepsi. "It is HIS party, after all. No matter how eager I am." [To do the dares...] he added silently.  
  
"Sure! Koenma! Truth or dare?"  
  
Koenma blinked once. "Hmm... Dare."  
  
"Okay... I dare you to..." He looked around the room, and saw Kurohi retracting a glance from the teenage god of death. "...kiss Kurohi!"  
  
Both males paled a LOT.  
  
"WHAT?!" Koenma.  
  
"N-N-NANI?!" Kurohi.  
  
Kurohi's face contorted into a look of pure misery and a large blush spreading across his face. Koenma, however, looked almost unfazed.  
  
"Never mind then. Truth."  
  
"Hn, are you a coward, Koenma?" asked Kurohi softly. He couldn't believe his own ears. "The dare itself hurts no one, so nothing should happen." [Nothing should happen... nothing should happen... nothing should happen...] He repeated that mantra in his head, as if it would come true.  
  
"Okay, okay, I'll do the dare."  
  
He scooted forward to the almost impish-like demon. The god of death could feel the boy's every soft breath against his face. Kurohi had cast his eyes downward as the sudden feeling of vulnerability washed over his body. He stared blankly at his hands clasped in his lap, and felt his chin being lifted by three fingers.  
  
Slowly, he obeyed, and also observing the one-fourth-opened, light-violet shirt. [Hn, you're a baka koinu, you know that?] a voice deeper than his own taunted silently at how he was behaving. Kurohi shoved that disgusting message out of his mind and concentrated not at the task at hand, but at controlling his growing arousal.  
  
Koenma's calm breaths hit his face in slow, warm waves, making him shudder. He suppressed it best he could, and forced himself to stare into those golden, sun-kissed irises.  
  
[I... am... so... dead...] was Kurohi's coherent thought before the god's lips met his in a gentle fashion. He tasted of the sake he drank and his own unique flavor mixed into a combination he would never be able to describe. A soft rumble escaped his chest, and he heard Koenma chuckle slightly in his throat.  
  
Wait, that rumble... Kurohi had heard it before...  
  
...He was *purring*. It was a very, very soft noise, almost inaudible, tickling the inside of his chest. All too quickly, Koenma pulled himself away from the other male, and moved back toward Yusuke.  
  
Kurohi blinked his large eyes and shivered slightly. [Don't go, don't go, don't go! That's right stay there! No, wait...] He looked away and suppressed a sudden bout of hysterical laughter.  
  
...Yep, no more lying to himself. He'd see Koenma later the next day... or tonight... They could settle things then.  
  
Closing his eyes to regain his composure, he was oblivious to Koenma's gaze... and everyone else's.  
  
"Okay, what just happened there?" the best ex-delinquent asked.  
  
The carrot-top shrugged. "Beats the hell outta me."  
  
"An' speakin' of beatin' the hell outta ya," continued the delinquent. "when we fight, that's all I've *been* doin'!"  
  
"Oh, shut up, Urameshi!"  
  
The redhead of the group chuckled, and the fire demon looked about as amused as the fox felt. Hiei smirked at the man with the pushed-in face. "Still haven't beaten him, baka?" he asked.  
  
"No, he hasn't, Hiei!" laughed Yusuke, brushing his bangs to the sides of his forehead.  
  
Koenma looked sly. "My turn..." he purred.  
  
The non-demon paled and stammered, "Don't you DARE make me kiss a guy, okay?!! It-it was all Urameshi's idea!!"  
  
"I wasn't planning on that. Kurohi?" he asked.  
  
The boy held back a gasp of dread. "U-umm," He swallowed the lump in his throat. "y-yeah?"  
  
"Truth or dare?"  
  
The boy hesitated. "Truth."  
  
"Tell us what kind of demon you are," simply stated the lord of the underworld.  
  
The boy with a silver starburst that flopped against his head looked nervous. "D-dare, then."  
  
"What, afraid of words?" he asked, near mirroring the boy's previous words although they were "reversed". He leaned forward.  
  
"N-no..." he protested meekly.  
  
"Then, why?"  
  
"I... I can't say... If I do... you might... oh, fuck it, I'll answer." He gave them all a mixed expression of fear that they will reject him, pain that they might, and uncertainty of their reactions. His face contorted into all of this, then settled to anger for a second before setting itself firmly into that of firmness and resolve. "I am... a mix of... fire demon," Hiei looked up and raised an eyebrow. "youko," Kurama's eyes widened slightly. "human," Kuwabara looked as if he put two and two together at that mere statement. "and dragon."  
  
The boy paused. "Some of it, I cannot elaborate, but then again, you didn't want me to, so I'll leave it at that, so ha." He waited a moment to let it all sink in. "Kuwabara, you seem to have figured something out. Mind telling us? It'll be the truth question I ask you." [I'm going easy on you. You'd better not complain. I could easily dare you to "propose" to Yusuke.]  
  
"Since you're part human, is that why your irises are so huge?"  
  
The boy grinned. "Yeah, yes, that's correct. I'm glad to hear that not all humans are dimwits."  
  
Kuwabara liked this kid's praise. He was pretty cool after all!  
  
"Okay, my turn! Urameshi! Truth or dare?"  
  
"Kah! Dare!"  
  
"Next time we fight I dare you to lose!"  
  
"Oh forget it!" [My ego couldn't take that torment!] "Truth, damn it! There's no effin' way I'm gonna lose to you!"  
  
"What do you think happened between Kurohi and Koenma?"  
  
Both said boys paled slightly. Koenma sipped his sake pretty calmly and Kurohi looked out the window from his spot on the floor, limbs still quivering.  
  
The window was a good yard away from the lad. Part of him felt like running away from it all by means of this window. The sun had nearly fled elsewhere, so maybe he could sneak out...  
  
"Oh, I think Kurohi was enjoying it! I think I heard an odd noise coming from him!"  
  
Said boy stiffened, but made no comment. His fists clenched in his lap. He *seriously* considered running away...  
  
"What about Koenma?"  
  
...but Koenma, without doing anything, kept him from running.  
  
"Kuwa-baka! I don't know! He's so impossible to read on these terms! Hiei! Truth or dare?"  
  
Hiei didn't want to have to do anything ridiculous. Nor did he want to fess up on anything, but, he still said, "Dare."  
  
"I dare you... to dance and sing YMCA in your underwear!" [Wait... he doesn't wear underwear, does he?]  
  
Hiei's eyes widened as large as saucers before one eyebrow raised itself while the other lowered itself into a scowl. He stood up and yelled down at the male, "Hell no!! Truth!" [I don't even know YMCA, and I don't care to try singin' it wearin' nothing! Especially in front of Kurama!!]  
  
"Fine! Did you enjoy singing Eye To Eye with Kurama and Kuwabaka?"  
  
"Hey!"  
  
Hiei hesitated. "It was... fun." [Yes,] he remembered, [it had been fun. Though the first time I looked at the lyrics I silently thought the writer was insane. I had asked Kurama if I could run him (A/N: or her?) through with my katana.] He turned to the fox. "Kurama, truth or dare?"  
  
"Truth."  
  
"Why the hell have you been off in la-la land this past day and a half??!" he demanded, still standing up. He looked down at his fox. For a split second, he allowed curiosity to control his face.  
  
Kurama hesitated, seemingly very uncomfortable with the idea, but he had seen that flicker of sincere curiosity and that sense of care in his eyes. His bright green orbs eyed the ruby-eyed demon. [Well, not only have I been reflecting on previous events I've been coming up with various ideas of seduction and foreplay, yeah that'll come out juuuussst fine.] He mentally rolled his eyes at the thought. [then Hiei'll run off way before the month is over!] "Hiei, I choose dare, instead."  
  
"Fox, you are impossible... fine, I dare you... Well, this isn't much of a dare, but I dare you to fight Kurohi without using your youko form.  
  
"Not only that, but this dare also goes for Kurohi as well. You will both fight in the backyard.  
  
"Oh, and it probably would have been easier if you had stuck with truth. Now you HAVE to do the dare. Why? Because I said so."  
  
Kurama and Kurohi stood up, and looked at each other skeptically. Large blue eyes met long-lashed, expressive green ones. Without a word, they proceeded silently out the back door.  
  
End Day 2's Late Afternoon.  
  
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This chapter ain't over! I have at least one more to close the second day! I'm thinkin' that Hiei will have a little too much sake next chapter... and then a few things might happen. I'm not totally sure, but I think the next chapter will center mostly around the fight. Ja ne and keep reviewing! Oh, and if you guys all want some of the truth or dares to continue, would you mind suggesting some? Me an' my brother are running out of ideas. (I don't do truth or dare often, and I really don't know many combinations)  
  
The YMCA dare was my younger brother's idea!  
  
shonen = boy/male  
  
bi = pretty/beautiful  
  
shojo = girl/female  
  
koinu = puppy  
  
Day Started 3/18/03, afternoon  
  
Day Finished 3/19/03, EARLY afternoon  
  
Revisions: 10/9/03 & 10/10/03, 5/31/03 


	4. Day 2c Ryu Kokoro no Yumemiru

10 Years of Waiting  
  
by Kurohi Tatsaki  
  
Day 2c - Ryu Kokoro no Yumemiru  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own YYH, but I own Kurohi. This story is Yaoi! Male/Male relationships! Don't like it? Then leave cuz then you shouldn't be here. I don't appreciate insults on my work when I'm trying the hardest of my current capabilities.  
  
"speaking" [thinking] {noise} ~~~~~~ POV change ****** beginning/ending of dreams ********* flashback beginning/endings //Telepathic speech// *** passing of time /strange voice/  
  
To Scarby: The outcome of the first of your two requests has been answered!  
  
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Kurama only had to fight Kurohi? He wondered why Hiei would say such a dare. He was, after all, an S-Class Youko fighting an A-Class Youkai. What good, besides training, would THAT do? Well, maybe that WAS the reason.  
  
Across from him, the boy stood, Rose Whip in his right hand. "This fight could get heated up... as long as you don't gawk at me." With that, he yanked off his button-down blue shirt in one fluid motion like Hiei when removing his midnight-black cloak. It also had whitish-gray dragon designs near the hem, but that was soon forgotten as the redhead nearly gasped in shock.  
  
Kurohi's form was similar to the fox's except for one main difference. A dark-gray dragon tattoo worked its way from atop his right shoulder and wound all the way across his back to meet his left one. The ends did not meet anywhere, and the tattoo ended against both sides of his chest. At his left side, Kurama spotted a shortsword with the handle of a silver dragon's head clinging against the waistband of his jeans. The blade was seemingly straight, and the tip was nearly as fine as a rapier.  
  
The boy's torso was sparsely muscled, but strength was evident. He had a slender neck, and his face was most childlike, but it held both age and wisdom almost greater than his own. His large eyes glittered in the faint light of the overhead lamps and cast his entire body into more shadow than light.  
  
Around his neck, unnoticed until now, dangled a dragon pendant. In its claws, it clutched a shining, violet pearl. It pulsated a dim red glow in the setting sun and in the shadows around itself. The dragon's crying eye was closed gently, and it seemed that the stone that held the tear gem really WAS crying.  
  
"What's that?" queried the kitsune. Never before in his life had he ever laid eyes upon such a creation. He figured just enough to know that it wasn't carved, like the dragon.  
  
"A hirui-seki stone, of sorts... Oh, wait, I forgot to mention. We dragons can cry gems, too. We just never do because there's nothing to cry about." He had a light smirk on his face.  
  
[Then why is there that stone around his neck?]  
  
The rest of the group entered the backyard, unnoticed by the two, who were focused on each other.  
  
"Anyway," said the youkai. "I won't use any other arsenal save my Rose Whip, my sword, and my fists."  
  
"Now I'll have to be even more wary of you," murmured Kurama. "Your ability with various weapons is uncanny, correct?"  
  
With a little shrug, he replied, "Some say that, Kurama-san."  
  
"Hiei, are you sure you want them to fight?" whispered Yusuke from the sidelines.  
  
"Positive," came the deep reply. "Kurohi needs training in real fighting when his options are limited. So far, he seems to be handling the slight pressure of not being able to use a few of his abilities without flinching. However, it seems he is merely mirroring how I would react. This could eventually defeat him, as I use the exact strategy. Right now, Kurama has the advantage because, unless Kurohi changes his strategy from mine, and fights as he should, he shall meet defeat indefinitely."  
  
"Kurohi, the first move is yours," the fox in statement said politely.  
  
"As you request!" He flitted about the backyard, aiming for the fox with his whip. Kurama jumped back just as the whip came his way. It missed by millimeters, but several other flurries came his way. He dodged them with his foxy grace, ever the acrobatic and tricky opponent.  
  
Kurama chuckled. "You fight like two people I know." [I have your entire strategy down, little one.]  
  
//Oh? Who?// asked the boy telepathically.  
  
"Hiei and myself," he answered softly, keeping his human ears alert to their highest degree.  
  
Not only was Kurohi hyper on soda (the remnants of the bottled soda were the last half of it before he drank it all in a few minutes), Kurohi was having fun with Kurama-san. He sheathed his whip and pulled out the sword. The blade mutated into the wriggled tail of a dragon.  
  
"YOU'RE GOIN' DOWN, KURAMA-SAAAAAAN!!"  
  
As the blade came down, the fox was almost pierced through the chest, had he not dodged. The tip of the blade pierced the material of his shirt and scratched his back from the spine all the way to his left side. A thin stream of blood flowed from the wound, and he gripped the part of his back that was cut. He shook slightly at the memory of the blade from the nightmare took position in his mind. Now that he thought about it, the blade really *hadn't* been Hiei's...  
  
It had been Kurohi's. [Had I not dodged, Kurohi would have killed me for certain!]  
  
"Stop dropping your guard!! It makes you look *stupid*!" complained the boy, swinging his sword. The blade dug into his shoulder and the fox grit his teeth against the pain. He looked up at Kurohi's expressionless blue eyes.  
  
They stared right back, then widened. /Those eyes... No! Kurohi! Stop looking into those eyes before the memories come back!/ hissed that strange voice in the boy's mind. /You don't want to remember it all, right?! Look away from him!!/  
  
He withdrew his bloodied blade and regarded the fox with a haunted look. [Get out of my mind. You are nothing but a handicap in my fighting.] His gaze then flicked to Hiei, and he turned fully to him. The haunted look remained, but he closed his eyes before his trainer could see anything further. He didn't want anyone to see or figure out his weakness of mind.  
  
He shrieked in shock rather than pain as the Rose Whip wound around his neck and pierced his skin, drawing blood. A soft whisper, coming from his own throat, echoed in his ear. In reflex, he gripped the whip with both hands, causing the thorns to cut his palms and fingers.  
  
"Were you the one who sent me that nightmare?"  
  
"N...nani... what are you talking about...? I... I... don't know what you mean..." he stammered uncertainly. What was the youko talking about? What did he do??!  
  
"It was YOUR blade I saw, Kurohi... after you replaced Hiei's."  
  
"M... mine...?" The Rose Whip's grip increased, and the boy cried out, he felt a few rivulets of blood seep from his neck to mingle with the pendant, which pulsated quickly. His eyes widened as he felt that breathing was becoming more of a chore, but he had to speak his mind! He started to get scared; the flickering of the pendant quickened as adrenaline pumped through him. "...I... don't... know what... you mean," he said softly. He made no attempt to save himself from the accusations. [Of course,] he thought to himself bitterly. [The dragon told me once... that it likes to have me do things to those who are dear to myself or anyone I am related to... Of course! He would think it was me because it was my sword he saw! Most likely, it was, but the dragon I can become can enter people's minds and manipulate dreams! He's mistaking ME for the dragon on my back!]  
  
"So, it *was* you. I can smell fear on you."  
  
[He's a jackass while fighting, but a sweetheart off the battlefield? Wait, I'm getting dizzy...] "Uuugh... It... *wasn't*... me... And, I'm... not... scared of... what you're... saying..."  
  
Around his neck, the Rose Whip tightened again as these words of innocence made him even more angry. The dragon pendant pulsated slowly with a faint glow.  
  
Hiei's eyes widened. "Stop it, fox! You're killing him! He may be a lethal opponent but he gets hurt easily, and for some reason, at this very time even though he's more demon than human! The fight is OVER Kurama! Let him go!" [And if he dies Mukuro will have my hide for certain!]  
  
The grip dropped, and Kurohi fell to his knees and then face-down to the ground with a soft thud. He panted softly. //Ku..rama, why don't you believe me? I can explain things, but why didn't you listen...?// [I thought I could trust you not to kill me, but merely beat me in a fight. You want me dead because of my dragon, don't you?]  
  
Struggling with something in his right pocket, he pulled out a seed and applied its fluids to the wounds on his neck and hands. After a moment or two of waiting, he stood up. The only things remaining were the scars; they faded quickly.  
  
The pendant's pulsing returned to normal instead of the erratic slowness earlier. "Allow me to explain my side of the story, Kurama," murmured Kurohi. "That nightmare you had when you saw the sword go through you was mine, correct?" he asked tiredly, eyes half-open.  
  
Kurama nodded silently, his Rose Whip long gone and hidden as the rose in his hair.  
  
"The dragon on my back... The Yumemiru Ryu... Without my knowing, it travels into others' minds and manipulates dreams to suit its cause. I'm not sure what it wanted you to see; asking it has always been difficult, as it speaks with images that can be interpreted in many different ways... like a painting." [And the only time it speaks to me with words is when it wants me to sleep or to keep me from what I am going to find.]  
  
"So, what do you think that one bit meant?"  
  
"Either, I am going to become your enemy, or something else may happen. What that is, I am uncertain."  
  
"Em, what are you boys talkin' about?" suddenly asked Yusuke. Kurama turned his head to one side to see them, and Kurohi turned his entire head around to his left in a comical way.  
  
"Oh, you needn't worry about that, Yusuke," he chimed softly, his eyes curving upward with his mouth in a smile. "We're just talking about somethin' that happened." The spiky brown-haired boy eyed Koenma meaningfully. //I need to talk to you.//  
  
The god nodded once, a barely visible gesture. To this, a small smile tugged the boy's lips.  
  
It seemed that the Jaganshi was the only one who noticed this transaction of communication. He approached the kitsune as the other part-youko was throwing his shirt back on, completely covering the mark.  
  
Hands in his pockets, he said, "You told me it was *my* katana. Now you're saying it was my student's?"  
  
Kurama nodded. "I was a little too scared to make out the detail clearly the first time around. I do remember, though, that at first glance it was yours, and then a second later, his... a jagged blade."  
  
The Forbidden Child was silent a moment. "Kurohi was still with Mukuro the night you had that nightmare."  
  
"It doesn't matter where I am, Hiei-sama,"  
  
They turned to the boy who stood with his hands placed on his hips. "Forgive my interruption," he murmured, holding back the urge to stare at the grass below his feet. "but no matter where I am, the dragon can go into anyone's mind of which I am associated to... take yours, for example. Though if you were the best example, a better one would be Kurama-san, Yusuke, Kuwabara-kun, Koenma-sama, and anyone associated to them as well as you.  
  
"I also apologize for any misery my dragon has caused you, but I cannot assure you it won't happen again. And for that, again, I am very sorry." With that, the boy reentered Yusuke's home. He was followed by all save the two demons.  
  
"So, it was the dragon..." mused the fox. "Even in my old age, I've never heard of a dragon that could enter people's dreams," said Kurama.  
  
"Hmph. Then obviously, you haven't been doing any miscellaneous research."  
  
"Why? Have you some information?" gently asked the redhead, turning and looking at him through the corner of his eye. He was wary of Hiei's movements, which were a little sluggish due to the sake.  
  
Hiei said this with a blank face, "No."  
  
"Then you shouldn't say anything about that."  
  
The Jaganshi looked insulted. "I was only saying, that you're usually the one who knows more about things like this than I. Your not knowing is very surprising this time around." With that word, he followed the rest of the group.  
  
After a moment or two of pausing, watching the dark, retreating back of the one he loved, he, too, followed.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
I am aware of the fact Kurohi wishes to speak with me. Most likely, about that kissing dare. In speaking of dares, Kuwabara dared Hiei to fight Kurama. Though he seemed reluctant, he had agreed.  
  
Though, it had been more or less a standstill, one barely getting ahead of the other. And just when we thought the battle couldn't get any more intense, Kurama had stumbled on a chunk of rock.  
  
Hiei won.  
  
"By accident! I tripped over something!!" Kurama had shouted.  
  
"Hn. Just like how you beat me so long ago!" was the retort.  
  
Kuwabara and Yusuke had gotten so drunk, Kuwabara ended up draped over the back of the couch. Yusuke ended up on the floor soon after, snoring loudly. Well, at least he beat Kuwabara again - holding out longest with the highest amount of alcohol in his system. He sure has a lot of guts.  
  
Hiei? Well, Kurama took him home, staggering, partially slurred speech and all.  
  
Kurohi was just hyper... for a good half-hour after the fight because he found a few cans of Sprite in the fridge. Heh heh heh... Courtesy of my suggestion.  
  
"Koenma-sama, you... not too drunk to talk?" he asks calmly.  
  
Looking up from my near-empty wineglass, I stare into large blue irises. He is standing before me, slender body slack, but rigid with evident nervousness. He always had a problem with masking that from me. "I believe, I'm pretty sober. Not all there, though."  
  
He sits down near me and pretends I'm not there by looking out the window behind him. His face is pretty much facing me. I know he knows I'm here because his pendant is flashing softly and irregularly to his own demonic rumble of a heartbeat.  
  
One day, I'd like to hear it.  
  
The pendant always fascinated me. It reacts to his every breath, every beat of his heart, everything he sees and does is reflected in that violet orb, held by a no-footed, long-tailed dragon no bigger than his palm.  
  
That is also how Hiei knew he was close to passing out, perhaps death after a few more minutes of that death-grip with the Rose Whip Kurama had on him. He looked positively frightened, and for good reason. Kurama is a cunning demon, and won't hesitate to kill a demon in his way... unless for other reasons.  
  
There is a lasting silence, before he murmurs quietly, "Had... had it not been a dare, would you still have..." He pauses to look at me with tainted blue eyes. "...kissed me?"  
  
"No, of course not," I reply without thinking. Oh well, I'm a god, anyway. I last for eternity while you don't! You'll end up dying and the both of us will be in pain because we'll never be able to see each other again after that!  
  
...That's why I can't love you.  
  
This hurts him. He closes his eyes momentarily; the glowing of the pendant stops for a second before starting up again slightly faster. Kurohi stares blankly out the window. "I see..."  
  
Standing up, he shakes his head and laughs softly. For a moment, I think he is well, but another glance shows off that little thread of sanity that belongs to him. It's strained. "You don't like me? I'm too much of a child?"  
  
"I didn't say that," I say. I didn't mean that at all! He is not eternal, but I am! A relationship will only bring us pain! I *can't* love him!  
  
"In a sense, you did," is his answer, spoken in so soft a tone, so soft a volume, I must strain my ears to hear past the sound of his loudly-beating demon heart.  
  
I know I wanted to hear it, but not like this...  
  
His ki slowly flares around him, like a gentle, cold breeze. If his aura were a color, it would be a kind of dark silver. "I'm going."  
  
"Where?"  
  
"I'll go anywhere but here," he replies, running a hand through a few strands of his baby-fine brown hair. I am surprised he can stick those up so easily. Usually, people with "thick" hair are the only ones that can do such thick spikes.  
  
"Then, come back to Reikai with me."  
  
He snorts softly. "Hn. Doshite? So you can tell me how not fit for a relationship I am? Sorry, but I'd prefer to swallow a thousand needles... though they don't taste as unique as you do."  
  
Did he just SAY that?! My, Kami-sama...! He never even tasted me before!  
  
He seems to mistake my surprised expression for revulsion. Before I can speak, he is gone in the blink of an eye.  
  
I guess that is a benefit of training under Hiei... you become extremely agile and can run from your feelings. At least, that's what I think he's running from.  
  
...I'm sorry, Kurohi...  
  
***  
  
I HATE Koenma-sama, I HATE Koenma-sama but how I love him, damn it! He just rejected me!  
  
I can't help what I feel. If I could, I'd choose to die loveless... but since I've felt it... I've felt the soaring in my heart - I've felt the singing - I've felt the passion... I wouldn't choose to die loveless.  
  
...I can't...  
  
It is raining lightly, gradually soaking my jeans and thin dragon shirt. The mark on my back grows slightly warm to help heat my body up, but I shouldn't be this cold! I AM part fire demon, after all.  
  
True, but I'm also part human. I can still get sick a little easier than demons, but a little less than humans do.  
  
I choose to view this as a benefit - I could have been born as a human, and be sick very often.  
  
A shiver runs down my spine. Even the tree I'm sitting in does not provide much protection from the rain. Some of the droplets sizzle once they touch me, and some of them do not, trailing down my skin in such a manner it is a cold tickle. I shiver and wipe off the droplets with equally wet hands.  
  
/The rain will pass, my child,/ hisses the voice in my mind. How strange, that I used to find it so soothing to me so long ago. Now it has been downgraded to a voice that makes my skin crawl and my innards churn. /The night will fall, and day shall rise to power once again, as it always does. Rest now, during the night, and fall into a dreamless slumber, one void of the miseries and pleasures the subconscious creates to amuse itself./  
  
But, I don't want to sleep. I do not want the dragon to go into someone else's mind while I'm out like a light. It doesn't seem I have much choice, though. Fatigue is covering my body like a warm cloak, despite the rain and cold.  
  
...How can I love a god? I won't last long, according to his life, which is eternal. I'll only be a scratch in the CD - meager and without impression, for it doesn't interfere.  
  
...How could I...?  
  
I bite my lip to keep from crying, for demons, especially powerful ones, can't cry.  
  
But, though I want to cry, I can't cry. I'm human for wanting to cry. I'm demon for not crying.  
  
Hiei-sama would scold me for my human side, wouldn't he...?  
  
I seriously don't want to doze off, but my mind's fuzzy. My eyes don't want to focus. My body feels like lead and the simplest movement seems it would cause me to fall off this sturdy, unyielding branch. It's freezing cold up here, and my body and mind don't want to keep my soul warm.  
  
I feel cold sensations running against my hand as rain falls into my open right palm. Staring at it for a long moment, I close this hand, and softly close my eyes. My head rolls forward after a second, as it is a burden to hold up, now.  
  
Mind blank, I fall into dreamless slumber, just like the dragon said.  
  
I hate being the object of predictions. At least, in my sleep, I won't have to think about anything, or, more importantly, any*one*.  
  
Koenma... no matter what you say, no matter what you do, I love you forever...  
  
End Day 2  
  
-------------------------------------------  
  
doshite = why  
  
I know this is more Kurohi this time, but I felt I should let you in on some of his personality, and what he has to go through for endless days. Yeah, I know he's also a homo - after all, he finds most girls unappealing. (He hates it when girls get too flirty with him. He thinks it's a little strange.) Again, after all, he does look kind of like one. He gets enough of women and people calling him that!  
  
Kurohi: *rolls eyes* Oh shut up. YOU drew me like that. You said I was supposed to look more like a bishonen than a bishojo!  
  
KT: Yeah! A pretty boy! Be glad that I named my user after you!  
  
Kurohi: Yeah, you even took the last name I have in Yu-Gi-Oh! fics.  
  
KT: But... You're my best OC! All my other ones are crap!  
  
Seishin (from Wild Arms 3 fic): Hey! What about me?! I'm supposed to be his sister!!  
  
KT: What, you want me to bring you in, too? You look almost nothing like him, with all that white hair...  
  
Seishin: It's not WHITE! It's SILVER! SILVER, damn it! _  
  
KT: *sweatdrop* Riiiight. (She's really a lot like Yukina when she's happy. Also, she has a hair color similar to Jet's.) Anyway, I plan on fixing that loooong chapter in my WA3 fic and posting it at SOME point in time. *runs hand through hair* It isn't bad; I started it while I was in Serpent's Coils and used a few quotes from the game, I think. (Now I have a flying mech dragon that can blow stuff up! Those who played the game know who she is but I kinda forgot her name.) Anyway, I hope you readers are happy I was on a roll again this chapter. I have a few sketchy ideas for next chap. Whaddya say Kurama and Hiei?  
  
Kurama: ^__^  
  
Hiei: *looks bored* Hn.  
  
R&R! Arigatou gozaimasu to ja ne!  
  
Started 3/19/03, Afternoon; Finished 3/20/03, Noon  
  
Revisions: 10/10/03, 5/31/03, 3/20/03, (Late Noon Snow day!) 


	5. Day 3a I've Won, But You've Trapped Me

10 Years of Waiting  
  
by Kurohi Tatsaki  
  
Day 3a - I Won, But You've Trapped Me  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own YYH, never will, but I own Kurohi. This story is Yaoi! Male/Male relationshipsX2! Don't like it? Then leave and find something else to read. After all, I'm a Tan Dragon, according to this one fun test I took. I'll have to find the website...  
  
"speaking" [thinking] {noise} ~~~~~~ POV change ****** beginning/ending of dreams ********* flashback beginning/endings //Telepathic speech// *** passing of time /strange voice/  
  
Scarby - In a sense, you are correct, actually when you put it Kur(ama)-o- Hi(ei). Actually, if you find any online Japanese/English, English/Japanese dictionaries, (I have a paperback) you will find that "Kuro" means "black" and "hi" means "fire". However, for Hiei's name, in Kanji, it means Flying (Hi) Shadow (ei). So, if you mixed Kanji with the other form, you get "Black Flying" but that makes no sense. [Please note that Kurohi came from one of my OLD Yu-Gi-Oh! fics. I liked him enough to throw him in fics similar to the one I will talk about in the next sentence. I have posted one of my later ones: "Blue-Eyes Pink Dragon" Now, don't let the title fool you. It describes Kurohi... in a sense. It isn't one of my best works, but it is one of my most recent. However, the next chapter of that would be rated R... for a VERY lemony scene, unless I come up with an alternate chapter, and that one won't be out for a while cuz I'm also working on an AU Forbidden Memories fic (Yu-Gi-Oh! PSOne). As of now, it's only one- sided. Oh, by the way. That last chapter? Just a little preview of the fight. *grin* Here comes more of what really happened!  
  
-------------------------------------------  
  
Kurama watched in silence as Hiei slept on his bed, small mouth slightly agape, lined by a pair of lips he desperately wanted to caress with his own. Amazingly enough, Hiei didn't snore. He had passed out on the trip down back home, and the kitsune had had to carry the hankoorime bride- style.  
  
He chuckled softly, the memory rather interesting. Hiei had continuously pushed him away while the redhead had tried to help him remain balanced. Several times, Hiei had stumbled, but the fox never let him fall. Not once. Despite all those slurred curses, he knew, deep down, that the still short demon was grateful.  
  
Hiei, to tell the truth, actually seemed like a child during slumber. His hair had long ago fallen out of the bands and now cascaded against the side of his face, trailing across his shoulder and along his side.  
  
[Hiei...] he thought. [what can I do to make you mine, with your consent, without having you run away from me...?] His eyes narrowed slightly. [I can't bear to see you leave me again...] Carefully, he ran a few fingertips through the coarse strands of hair. A small grin tugged at his lips. [Hiei needs a bath tomorrow... Last I remember his hair wasn't this rough. And speaking of rough...]  
  
*********  
  
"Hn. You know my reasons for not fighting you, and look where this dare has gotten us," commented the Jaganshi dryly.  
  
Kurama nodded. "Yes, I know. We're not here to kill each other, so the first person to be in a position of inescapable death is the loser."  
  
"Kh. Agreed."  
  
The fight began. Both men snapped into action. One drew a rose while the other drew a sword.  
  
"Rose Whiplash!"  
  
The end of the whip met the blade of a katana on a fast basis. Flitting backward to give them both some room, Hiei regarded his best friend intensely in the split second of peace. [I never dreamed I would have to fight you again, fox. I never know what the outcome of fights will be with you, sometimes. Last time we fought, so long ago, I lost by accident. Maybe, this time, it'll be different-]  
  
Hiei's eyes widened at the Rose Whip lashed him in the shoulder. He winced and clutched at it with his free hand. Blood seeped through the cut, trickling down his compact chest. "Che," as all he uttered.  
  
Kurama regarded him with that *look* that always through him for a loop. Kurama rushed forward, brandishing that thorny whip. Again, Hiei deflected the blow with his sword, rammed a knee into his gut, and hooked him on the side of his face.  
  
Kurama clutched his bruised cheek and let loose his Petal Waltz, the razor- sharp petals rushing around his form to protect him for a short time as he recovered. The Jaganshi knew that if he got too close to the fox now, he'd be ripped to shreds by those seemingly harmless pieces of flowers - though, he knew that Kurama wouldn't let the petals kill him. He waited for the waltz to end, dodging the fox's attacks every time. He landed on Yusuke's roof, and once the waltz died down after a moment, he rushed back into battle, sword coming down at a sharp, ninety-degree angle. His hair all but slipped of its holder in the great rush of movement, and came the rest of the way undone when he dodged backwards to evade the whip.  
  
The ward fluttered in the winds created by the two fighters, and floated away.  
  
Hiei lunged again, and was about to let loose a combination of strikes, when Kurama gave a startled yelp. He fell backwards and onto the ground. Hiei aimed his sword at the green-eyed spirit fox's neck and said simply, "I win."  
  
Kurama lost the fish out of water look he had obtained when he had fallen. He retorted, eyes narrowed, "By accident! I tripped over something!!"  
  
"Hn. Just like how you beat me so long ago!" Hiei retorted. He then lowered his sword and sheathed it into the scabbard. He looked down at his feet to see what it was that had caused the redhead to stumble.  
  
A rock.  
  
A freakin' gray, mostly-smooth rock!!  
  
Hiei's eyes grew wide, and he burst into mirthful laughter. Kurama laughed with him, sprawled awkwardly on the ground. The fire demon clutched his sides and collapsed to one knee, laughter so hard it shook his very being. He produced tears, and a few of them crystallized into shining, black hirui- seki stones, falling to the ground with soft noises.  
  
The others gawked at this, saw what had made Hiei start laughing so hard, and they, too, started laughing along with them.  
  
Hiei had won the same way he lost.  
  
By accident.  
  
*********  
  
[Well, I'm certain I would have lost anyway. By then, I was a little bit drunker than Hiei at the time.]  
  
Kurama crawled onto his bed, and lay beside the fire demon. Nestling a little close, he gripped one of Hiei's strong biceps, and drifted off into slumber, not at all worried about the cut he gave him because he had already treated it.  
  
******  
  
Hiei didn't know where he was. He knew, for one thing, that it was lonely; it was cold; it was dark. He liked the dark, but this dark seemed different.  
  
"Where am I?" he murmured, looking all around. He tried to spot some light in the dark world, but his attempts yielded no results.  
  
//Jaganshi Hiei, are you?//  
  
"Yes," he answered warily. "What of it?" His hands balled into fists and clenched.  
  
//My host has... unintentionally told me about you.//  
  
"Who would that be?" he asked to the darkness.  
  
//Oh? Didn't you see the tattoo on his back?//  
  
"Wait! You're talking about Kurohi?" he answered cuttingly. The darkness stirred with some nearly indefinable emotion.  
  
//About time you caught on. Let me show you something, though it is a miracle that you can hear me. I almost thought I could do as I wished without you knowing it was me. That boy certainly doesn't know the true extent of my power.//  
  
"Do WHAT?! What do you want?!! What in Makai do you mean?!!" he demanded.  
  
//Let me show you what I mean. Pay attention,// murmured the... female voice.  
  
Suddenly, Hiei saw the clearing in which he had seen Kurama again when they stole those artifacts. Only, Gouki wasn't there. Kurama, however, was leaning against a tree in the shade. He looked up at the demon and said, "It is about time you came back. I was wondering if you'd died."  
  
"What do you mean, 'wondering'? You didn't leave me behind."  
  
"Are you sure about that? That looks like a nasty wound. Did those ogres hurt you?" he asked in a taunting manner.  
  
Suddenly, a searing pain seized his side. This hadn't happened then! What the hell was going on?!! He clutched at the wound and sank to both knees at the agony of movement and pressure. Kurama pressed a foot harshly against the wound and sent the black and white-haired boy to the ground in a groaning heap.  
  
Kurama bent down low so that when Hiei looked up, he could see the eyes.  
  
They were reddish gold. "You are of no used to me injured. Die, Hiei."  
  
The whip came up, and darkness replaced the entire scene. Just as the whip came down, the red-golden-eyed Kurama faded into oblivion. The pain remained with the red-eyed youkai, and he looked around in confusion. He was back where he started!  
  
He then remembered Kurohi's softly spoken words and hollered, "What are you trying to show me, dragon??! Betrayal?!"  
  
He received an image of a black-cloaked man with blue eyes. The eyes smirked, if they could do such a thing, and came closer to Hiei. "I am going to make your life a living hell, you know? Take this!" The figure opened his hand, and energy blasted through it. His black hood nearly flipped off, revealing his spiky brown hair. If he were in the Dark Tournament, he'd probably be called a hottie. "Die!!"  
  
Hiei was suddenly immersed in water. He struggled to the surface, and saw nothing but more water just when he had his hopes up! He didn't have enough spiritual fire left in his body to evaporate the water; he could feel his lungs beginning to burst, and then...  
  
He was with Kurama again. Only, he was looking up at him from his place on the ground, book-bag in his right hand. His left hand was propped up on his hip. "Hiei? You feel like coming down now?"  
  
Hiei flitted down and looked around. [Kurama's school.]  
  
"You look a little tired, Hiei. Didn't sleep well?" he asked innocently enough.  
  
He shook his head. "Strange dream, is all."  
  
Kurama ran a hand through Hiei's unbound, long hair. Now he KNEW he was dreaming. His hair wasn't this long back then, and he certainly wasn't taller! "Do you want me to make it up to you, my fire demon?"  
  
[My fire demon?] "Since when have I been yours?"  
  
"Since... now, my dear youkai."  
  
Youko Kurama was staring up at him, a leather whip in one hand. All leather was black, even on his body. As sexy as that looked, the kitsune didn't look all THAT GREAT in black. Period.  
  
The beauty was destined to wear blues and whites.  
  
Hiei jerked his limbs, but could not free himself from the binds that pinned him to the stone, cold wall. A sudden bout of fright seized him, and he knew not why. Perhaps, it was the seductive look the fox gave him.  
  
He looked like a vile executioner and a sex slave all in one freakish combination.  
  
The youko advanced just a bit, and his hand tightened on the handle of the leather whip, a smirk on his face.  
  
"KURAMA! What are you doing, damn it?! *KURA*-"  
  
The whip jerked back, and came forward.  
  
******  
  
Hiei sat up quickly with a sharp gasp. He panted softly, and heard a soft groan right near the pillow. Bright emerald orbs fluttered opened in reaction to the Jaganshi's sharp movement.  
  
"Hiei? Daijobu ka?"  
  
The fire demon looked down and shook his head slightly. "That dragon Kurohi mentioned... I saw it... It spoke to me."  
  
"Nani? With words?"  
  
The hankoorime nodded once. "Hai, kitsune. For a bit. Then again, I saw many things. Like my past, but it was all corrupted, most likely, by that dragon."  
  
"I see. Poor Hiei." He softly grasped Hiei's hand and sat up himself. Cautiously, he pressed his fingertips to a few points on the fire demon's back, forcing the muscles to relax. He continued to massage Hiei's back for a few moments, gradually beginning to use the rest of his hands.  
  
Kurama was surprised that Hiei offered no resistance. Then again, Kurama always did seem to be the only exception to the demon's rule of "Do not touch me". If anything, he leaned further into the touch, resting his head on the fox's shoulder, eyes slowly closing in contentment.  
  
"Feel better, Hiei?"  
  
"Hnnmm..." was the half-purred reply.  
  
Kurama eyed the clock on the dresser: 5:30 AM. No matter, he was still wide- awake right now. His sleep could wait until the fire demon was settled down again. He yawned and wearily blinked the sleep from his eyes.  
  
Well, maybe not so awake, after all. [Hm? What's this?] Kurama stared down at Hiei. He looked asleep. Carefully, he leaned back, so as to try and not disturb the Jaganshi. However, red eyes flew open at the movement and locked with a fatigued green. He placed one hand against the mattress to help support his own weight, so the fox wouldn't have as much of a burden.  
  
Kurama did the same, but with both hands. He frowned slightly for a moment before settling back into the covers.  
  
"Kurama, explain," clipped Hiei.  
  
"Explain what?" came the drowsy reply. Emerald orbs opened slightly.  
  
Hiei blinked once. "What you just did."  
  
"Leaning back or giving you a back-rub...?" he mumbled.  
  
"The first option."  
  
The fox hesitated. "I thought you had fallen asleep. I was going to get us both comfortable. My idea of a good night isn't sleeping upright." He yawned as if to emphasize his point.  
  
"Neither is mine, but you don't hear me complaining." [Especially since I sleep in trees most of the time.]  
  
Another yawn. "Just go back to sleep, Hiei." The fox closed his eyes.  
  
"I'm not tired."  
  
Kurama was silent.  
  
"Fox?"  
  
Silence. Upon closer inspection, the kitsune had fallen back asleep.  
  
[Hn. Baka kitsune.] A stray lock of hair had fallen in front of his face, and the single alert demon gently moved the red tresses to get a better look at the demon-spirit-made-human's face. [Damn it, fox. You don't know how much you drive me over the edge with, at the very least, your beauty! ...Despite the fact you've trapped me with your STUPID emotion called Love! Damn you, fox! What am I going to do about this, now...?]  
  
[Nothing,] he answered himself. [Let's see how this all rides out. If it gets too bad, I'll try and get out, but...] He looked out the window, seeing his tree, empty and cold. The scuff marks would always remain where he had gone on it, but for once, he felt proud that he wouldn't need to sleep out there, it seemed, for at least a month now. [...I don't know if I can.. anymore......]  
  
He still preferred to snooze outside, but if weather didn't permit, he was always welcome in fox's house... and to think he used to believe that the redhead had already moved out!  
  
[Well, he DOES have a high loyalty to his mother, to his family.]  
  
Hiei's only family? Himself, that is, until he met that beautiful fox - and knew his sister was, too, but that's besides the topic. But, youkos always moved on to different lovers when the flavor of the one before the move wore out. Getting too close'ld only hurt him!  
  
"Damn it... I hate it when he ensnares me like this..."  
  
He stayed up, contemplating his predicament and options until the sun nearly rose, then he passed out sitting there on the edge of the bed, head bowed forward, and cute mouth slightly agape.  
  
End Day 3's Dawn  
  
-------------------------------------------  
  
Yo! I thought I might as well cut it off there. It just "felt" like a place to stop. Hey, you know that second to last line last chapter? I'll requote from it: "I close this hand, and softly close my eyes." If you change it to: "And holding them tight in my right hand, I softly close my eyes" That is actually a lyric from one of Hiei's songs!! Kuchibue Ga Kikoeru (I Hear a Whiste)! I LOOOVE my "Legend of Yu*Yu*Hakusho 'SAI-KYOU' Best Selection Album Since 1990" CD!! ^_^ Hiei sounds soooo seeeexy! (Yes, by now you should know I'm female. *sweatdrop*) Something I've deduced: Girls tend to read more yaoi than boys, and boys tend to read more yuri than girls. Nonyaoi/yuri are read by both sides, or none, as the case may be. What do you think about that?  
  
R&R! I guess my inspiration has yet to run dry!! It must be all them reviews!! By the way, I also plan on making this fic LONG! (After all, Hiei IS staying for a month! 30 or so Days. Now you know why I put the chapters as days, right?)  
  
Started: 3/20/03, 5:30PM; Finished 3/21/03, 9:03AM  
  
Revisions: 10/10/03, 5/31/03 


	6. Day 3b Ryu Namida Botan's Joy, Kurohi's ...

10 Years of Waiting

by Kurohi Tatsaki

Day 3b - Ryu Namida; Botan's Joy, Kurohi's Pain

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH, never will, but I own Kurohi. This story is Yaoi! Male/Male relationshipsX2! Don't like it? Then leave and find something else to read. Oh, and me being a Tan Dragon means I can have a short temper, I love magic, I like treasure, I think humans are okay, and I have a strange fascination for fire and wind! Mmm... smokin'. Oh, and for black dragons? 'Humans... the other, other, other white meat!' Be very cautious with flames: My brother and best friend are Black Dragons, and they don't take things like flames as I do. They like acid flames, love to live in barren wastelands or swamps, and other dragons like me are neat playtoys! Eeep! I'm SOOOOO glad I never get on their bad sides... much. Well, with my best friend, it's completely avoidable, but my youngest brother, a Water Dragon, who loves to toy with guisers, annoys the hell outta her!

"speaking" thinking noise POV change beginning/ending of dreams flashback beginning/endings /Telepathic speech/ passing of time /strange voice/

Minor Kuwabara bashing by his own son, and brief nudity from Hiei ! It isn't that graphic, though if I made it a bit more graphic, I would have to up the rating... and some people's parents are eavesdroppers! (Like one of my friend's mom! Run away!) Not much fluffiness here, but you get to get a glimpse or two of why the little thing between Koenma and Kurohi happened.

Waa! I LOOOVE your reviews! starts walkin' around like Koenma, toddler form, then falls into a 5' pit of snow Feh. wipes off thin-framed glasses I hate glasses. They go up my face and almost off my ears whenever I put on headphones. grrr...

Does anyone want me to throw out some quote that a character says from the fic's chapter? And then maybe a few YYH song translations and the title it came from? How about this, I'll start doing it now, and tell me if it helps any for moods, or anything like that! Kay?

Rose Thorne - thanks for the info! I got the term 'hanyou' from the many, many YYH fanfics I read. Only a few came from FFN, and others came from various other sites. However, what I do know is, that Hiei is one-half fire demon, one-half koorime... but the term wouldn't be 'youko' because that's what Kurama is! (I have poker cards with Youko Kurama on a few! He looks sweet! ...As my brother would put it. As I would put it? Hooooottt...) And about that Yaoi/Yuri thing? I tend to go on what I observe in my area and most males are disgusted by yaoi, and I have a friend of mine (Male, but he's not my boyfriend) who has a Yuri doujinshi, and he doesn't seem to be particularly fond of my Yaoi doujinshis. (He never makes any real comment about them. However, he only saw one of the two that I own.) I do hope my comments haven't angered you, as to the fact that I hate making people angry unless it's for revennnge. Mwa hahahah! straight face You're not on my shit list, so, there's no revenge in store for anyone except for my brother. I think next chance I get, I'll shove some snow down his shirt or in his pants, if I can... and then I'll run screaming bloody murder as he chases me down into my room, then I'll slam my bedroom door in his face and lock it! Hahahahahahahahah!

Scarby - I am pleased to know that you liked the fight. I'm usually pretty horrible with fighting scenes unless I'm very interested, and I guess I was.

Keaira - In this chapter we see Yukina and Kuwabara's kids! I think Hiei's gonna be busy... especially with the son!

Siver-eyes Magician Girl - The way this is going, I'm not stopping soon! Mwahaha!

"Cram it, fox-boy! I'm just going easy on him! Pwah!" Kazuma Kuwabara

"Kurama! I don't wanna take a bath!" Hiei pouted slightly and glared at the fox. (A/N: I think I should make him do that more often!)

"Not to insult you," softly replied Kurama. "but right now you smell bad."

"Oh yeah!" he demanded in almost a loud voice. "Since when have you been sniffing me, fox!"

Kurama raised a slender eyebrow that mirrored the color and shade of his blood-red hair. "You KNOW how keen my sense of smell is. You haven't bathed in a while. At any rate, I'm having you go first because you need it more than I do." After a moment, he added, "You DO remember not to use the whole bottle, right? Because I have to go in right after you get done." The joke was apparent in his voice.

"Hmph, whatever," he answered. The last time Hiei took a bath, he used up ALL the bottles and THREE BARS of soap! "You can't make me!"

"You don't want to be seen by Yukina like that, right?"

"Hn. Fine, I'll go, then." With that, he entered the bathroom. He started up the water to a really high temperature and stripped down, revealing a nearly porcelain, compact torso and powerful legs that didn't quite appear that way. He dropped his ningen attire on the floor, and slipped into the shower. He yelped just a bit because of the slight cold. (A/N: After all, he IS a fire demon!) He tried cranking it up a few more notches, but it was as high as it could go. He cursed softly but soaped up anyway, stifling a wince as the soap penetrated part of the now shallow cut from the Rose Whip.

From outside, Kurama groaned. Hiei always used up all the hot water... (A/N: Like I do in the winter! ') Oh well, he could always delay some time before going in himself. He might as well make breakfast...

A few minutes later, the fire demon came downstairs, dressed in a fresh set of jeans and a baby blue short sleeved shirt with buttons down the front. He entered the kitchen and eyed the kitsune as he prepared breakfast, the scent of food already dragged him downstairs. He smelled of the peach shampoo he used in his hair. Everywhere else, he smelled very, very clean. His hair was down and dripping slightly of the hot water at the tips. The youko's hearing didn't fail him and he asked, "How much hot water's left?"

"Em, gomen, none," he said awkwardly, scratching the back of his head.

The emerald-eyed beauty looked at the counter and fiercely resisted the urge to bang his head on the smooth surface.

Still the same old Hiei, at least, in that department.

"Hiei, you about done? It's almost time to get going!"

"Hn. Almost!" came the deep call from the bathroom. Kurama was already in his gray tux, one hand shoved in his pocket, and patiently awaiting Hiei to get the hell out!

"Since when have you taken this long to get dressed?" asked the fox.

"Since I grew my hair out!" came the smart-alecky reply. A moment later, the Jaganshi came out in the black tux. His hair was tied back in a freshly cut, thin white ward. He wore the blue Hirui-seki stone that Hina had given to him since his childhood as well as the one Yukina gave him. 1

Kurama gave him the thumbs up. "You look great, Hiei!"

The fire demon closed his eyes, a small smile playing on his face. "You're starting to act like Yusuke."

"Was that for better or worse?" he asked rhetorically, and not really waiting for an answer from the youkai that he would eventually supply, the youko grasped the doorknob and pulled it open. Once they were out of the house, they drove to the site of the wedding.

It was in one of the parks that Hiei and Kurama used to walk through. Everyone was there, and an orange-haired, red eyed girl bounded their way. Her long, dirty-red hair bounced on her shoulders. "Hi, Kura-ma!" she piped, practically bouncing around in her pretty white dress. "So glad you got here, Kurama! Everyone else's here! Who's he?"

"This is my best friend, Hiei," said Kurama with a charming smile.

She craned her neck to one side to better view the Jaganshi. She wondered why this boyish-man made Kurama so happy. She could feel the fox's ki bouncing around as she was. "Hi, Hiei!"

"Oi! Kurama! Hiei!" chirped Botan, coming their way. She looked very pretty in a white dress. "What a great surprise! Oh, I see you met little Hikina Kuwabara! Hikina, did you know Hiei is your Uncle?" 2

"He is? Wanna see my brother? He's playing with daddy." She giggled when she remembered what they were doing some yards away.

"Come on, Hiei. Let's see? I did say you would be introduced." He approached the playing duo. The child had turquoise hair and dark eyes. He caught a small ball that Kuwabara tossed to him, and threw it back with double vigor, knocking his daddy back a few inches. The man chuckled and threw it back. The second time he did this, it popped him one in the face, making him grunt and slap one hand on his nose.

Kurama laughed softly. "Kuwabara, I see your son has the same 'fight' you have against Yusuke."

"Cram it, fox-boy! I'm just going easy on him! Pwah!" The ball hit him in the face again, knocking him down flat on his ass with a thud.

"Kesumi, what are you doing to your daddy?"

The boy looked up at the woman and put his empty hands behind his back. "Nothin', mommy. Why?" he muttered, stifling a grin.

She led the eight-year-old toward the two demons. "Oniisan! Kurama-san! Kon'nichi wa!" She embraced her taller brother and he returned it. She pulled away and chirped, "This is Kesumi, oniisan. Kesumi, this is Uncle Hiei."

"Heh! Hi, Uncle Hiei!" the child greeted gruffly.

Hiei folded his arms across his chest, eyeing him thoughtfully.

The boy met the glare. Uncle Hiei seemed like an overly shy, arrogant jerk! What was so special about this guy? "Uncle Hiei, what're ya starin' at?"

"You. Why?" He's got my attitude... This is strange...

"You're givin' me the creeps!" complained the half-apparition. "C'mon, sis!"

He dragged her off. The girl grinned at Hiei, but looked back to her brother and started up bits of conversation.

"They're an armful. Kesumi takes the cake, though. Most say Hikina is a lot like me, and they say she's no trouble to watch at all," she chirped, but with a tired sigh.

"Yes, they're probably right," mused Kurama thoughtfully. His green gaze flicked to the Jaganshi's face. "Hiei, do you mind watching the kids for a moment?"

"Sure, I'll watch 'em," Hiei muttered, following the small, turquoise-haired child until he heard a voice above him.

"Yo! Let me help, Hiei-sama!"

Hiei looked up into the tree. A boy stood atop a branch, a grin on his face. He was bent down so he could see the male below him. "Kurohi?" asked Hiei.

He was still wearing the jeans and dragon shirt, which fluttered gently as he jumped down. He landed on one knee, then rose gracefully to his feet, tail lashing gently left and right. "Sorry I look so horrible; I have no suits." I spent all my money MONTHS ago, and I can never find a lasting job anywhere in all the three worlds. It's not that I'm incompetent, but I have to keep running for my life or training all the time.

He smiled. "I don't think they'll mind. You want to help me watch these brats?"

"The only 'brat' is the boy," he answered with a slight chuckle. "Besides, I already offered to help a moment ago."

"So I've noticed."

"Hey! Who's the brown-haired punk!" demanded the son of Kuwabara, standing in front of his shorter sister.

"Kesumi, I know you know me, so don't play stupid," growled Kurohi. "or you'll GO stupid and be no match to help yourself, let alone anyone else!"

The boy flinched and said, "Oh, I think I hear dad callin' me, bye!"

Like a shadow, Kurohi stood in front of the boy. His hands rested on both his biceps as he crossed his arms against his chest. "Hiei-sama and I will be watching you," he said slowly. "So don't try to pull anything, or one of us will know." He smirked, showing off his half-canines. "Just a little... reminder."

After a moment, Hiei asked, "So, what did you need to talk to Koenma about? Or, is it none of my business?" He noted that the pendant's gentle flashing grew irregular but then back to normal.

He was making the boy nervous or upset.

"Nothing in particular." His voice was slightly thick. It had been the latter option, Hiei noted.

The Jaganshi sighed and said carefully, "You don't have to say anything. But be warned: You have competition with Botan."

He blinked and looked away, finding the forest near them interesting to his watery blue eyes. "I'm... that obvious?"

"Only to me. Don't worry. Everyone else is blind to this, it seems."

All he did was nod once, now staring at the ground. No doubt, his mind was reflecting upon that god of hell. He thought of how that body flowed with movement, and how that voice caressed his mind so delightfully. His own body pulsed with the desire for the god, and he found himself whispering rather pitifully, "Please, tell no one."

"I won't," reassured the fire apparition. He noticed the pain, and decided to leave that wound alone for now. "Now, what do you say we keep an eye on Hikina and, more importantly, on Kesumi?"

"Sure..." he replied. He only needed to regain his composure. He had done a lot of thinking about the entire, painful exchange of words, and sometimes, started to wish that he hadn't even asked.

"Had... had it not been a dare, would you still have..." I pause and raise my stare to meet that beautiful gold one. "...kissed me?"

"No, of course not."

This cold reply hurts me so bad I fear heart failure. I close my eyes momentarily; feeling my heartbeat cease and come back up again with pain to boot. I look blankly out the window. "I see..." Waiting a moment, I stand up, shake my head and laugh softly. "You don't like me? I'm too much of a child?" Yes, that's probably what he thinks. Well, then he needs to look up some information about people like me!

"I didn't say that," he says, trying to soften the blow.

"In a sense, you did," I reply, spoken in so soft a tone, so soft a volume, I can easily hear my own heartbeat, half-vibrating and half-beating. Focusing my energy, my ki slowly flares around me, and I bask in the gentle, cold feeling it gives me. "I'm going."

"Where?" he asks curiously.

"I'll go anywhere but here," I reply, running a hand through a few strands of my hair.

"Then, come back to Reikai with me."

I snort softly. "Hn. Doshite? So you can tell me how not fit for a relationship I am? Sorry, but I'd prefer to swallow a thousand needles... though they don't taste as unique as you do." I just said that, and I know I probably stopped all chance of recovering his affections. This will hurt me later, but right now, I'm a little pissed.

But I don't care about how sad this will make me. I want to speak what I think, and I'm thinkin' an awful lot.

Just as a sick part of me predicts, he looks horrified, and I run, tears welling up in my eyes, but they don't fall. Who thought love was so painful?

I sometimes wish I had never loved at all, but now that I've tasted something so exquisite, I never want to forget what love feels like.

He looked at his old, digital watch, which he had attached to the belt buckle loop in his pants, and went elsewhere, a distant look in his eyes.

If today was a day of joy, why did he feel so miserable?

Baka, he answered himself. You love Koenma, that's why.

"Botan-chan, what do you think?" asked Keiko, looking behind her shoulder as the oar-rider applied some finishing touches to her dress.

"It looks GREAT! Just let me finish up here and we can start soon." Her grin widened. "You know, I think you're going to like how Yusuke looks while he waits for you."

The woman brown-eyed woman chuckled, turning back to the mirror. "I can imagine so."

"Yes, and I can agree. Hey, guess what?" she said eagerly.

"What?"

"Koenma-sama and I are engaged!"

"Wow! That's so great, Botan-chan! I can remember when Yusuke did the same... He was stumbling all over his words, then he fixed his face and put the words out plainly."

"I'll bet the look on his face was priceless!"

"Oh, it was! Atsuko-san was recording!" she chirped, giggling softly.

Botan's eyes bugged out. "I hope you let us see it!"

Keiko nodded. "Sure!"

A slight rustle from outside stopped them from talking. "Ladies, it's almost time," said a soft voice.

"Oh, okay Kurohi-san!" She finished up with the dress and left the small room after giving Keiko the thumbs up and words of encouragement.

She exited the room and her eyes locked with a pair of slightly bored blue eyes. She decided to give him the good news. Perhaps it would cheer him up! "Guess what, Kurohi-san?"

"I'm listening," was his only, absent-minded-sounding reply. His small mouth was set in a flat line.

"Koenma-sama and myself are engaged! Isn't that wonderful?"

He now looked very, very tired, and his mouth twitched downwards a little bit. "Oh, that's great, Botan-chan," he said with a weary and sad smile.

"Em? Kurohi-san, what's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong," he answered softly, but with strain. He turned away before she could glimpse the stone he wore around his neck and the tears in his eyes. It would end up giving him away for sure! "Just, be good to him, okay?" He could NOT believe he just said that! No wonder Hiei-sama said he had competition!

No wonder Koenma-sama said what he did. He was in love with Botan-chan.

He couldn't take it anymore! He needed to incinerate something.

He began to stride away as he heard the sound of a tear gem falling to the ground.

Like a blur, he left her. Looking on the ground, a small, dark violet gem pulsated with the rhythm of a strange beat in an eerie glow; a shade lighter than its real color. She bent down and picked it up, clasping it in her palm. Koenma-sama knows about this! I'll talk to him, then! She made her way through the trimmed grass, and saw Koenma talking to Atsuko on one of the benches.

Botan cleared her throat. "Ah! Koenma-chan?"

"Em?" He looked up, golden eyes sparkling in the sunlight. "Botan-chan? What is it?"

"I was talking to Kurohi-san for a bit," she began. "then he ran off and left this. What is it?"

Koenma took it into his thumb and forefinger. Almost immediately, he recognized the object. Oh...! "Kurohi-san... cried."

"Nani?"

"Kurohi-san said that he could cry gems just like Koorimes," he explained. "but he said he never cried, because there was nothing to cry about. Why would he now?"

In his hand, the pulsating of the gem sped up a great deal.

He was running like something worse than hell was chasing him.

"I don't know. He seemed pretty upset when I told him we were engaged."

Yes, that's it... His face seemed to give away his thoughts; his face twisted into a small frown behind his pacifier. Thankfully, the object hid that frown from view.

"So, what was it? You seem to know what's going on. Will you tell me?"

"A personal matter that should not be taken into account," he said, still staring at the object in question firmly. "Today is a day of joy, so that is how it should be."

The stone in question was rather unique. Rather than lie still, it still pulsated at the rate of its creator, even when separated from the master.

The quick pulsating still fascinated him. Partially human, mostly demon.

His eyes narrowed at it; he said nothing more. It was very warm, like blood-warm. His hand closed around it, and the flickering orb seemed to... flinch?

The deity of death didn't like this. Koenma had become rather closed off, lately. Especially when Kurohi came into the office a few months ago. Actually, Koenma had invited Kurohi for a bite to eat during lunch.

"YO! Koenma-sama!" A rather cheerful Kurohi had entered the room, eyes sparkling with his joy. The toddler looked up and was taken aback by the boy's openness. He hardly used this type of approach. The male leaned against the desk, using his hands to support his weight. "Eh, Koenma-sama, you almost done?"

He continued to stamp papers at a speedy rate. "Nearly. Can you wait a few moments longer?"

"Hai, I can wait," he said with a smile.

Some silence took the space when Koenma asked, looking up, "Must you remain there?"

"What, you don't like my presence?" replied the youkai, gaze still fixated upon the toddler.

"I said nothing of the sort," he replied quickly.

"Hn." His eyes readopted that look of passiveness he'd been carrying around with him, but the eyes still looked joyous. Moments later, the stamping stopped, and Koenma jumped off his chair. He placed his hands behind his back and said, "Well, shall we?"

Kurohi chuckled and smiled. "Yes, we shall. May I suggest we go to the Ningenkai and eat there? Some of the places have the best food!"

"Oh, really? Let's go, then!"

Koenma had returned in a better mood - and in teen form - in which he left.

"Had a good time?" asked Botan.

"The best!" exclaimed the teen, pacifier around his neck rather than in his mouth. "He even paid for a few rounds at the carnival that was in town! I really ought to invite him over more often when I get free time!"

"Oh, that's good to hear," softly replied the oar-rider.

He frowned at Botan's now uncertain look and slightly depressed tone. This wasn't right, she was supposed to be bubbly! "Something wrong, Botan?"

"No! No, not at all! Everything's fine!" she covered up.

He let it pass. Though Botan hearing how good Kurohi was day in and day out made her ears hurt and caused migraines. She did something about this - she took up all Koenma's spare time - and Kurohi's visits slowly dropped until he only came when called on duty. All his missions were solo, and the other Tantei didn't see him once.

The sparkle in his eye had died for the worst. He became cold, callous, and indifferent, in a sick combination of Hiei and Kurama. He always addressed Koenma with a cold façade and a monotonous voice instead of his usual, upbeat, "I Love The World" one.

Koenma-sama slowly became miserable as well until she spiced things up a bit around the office, garden, and during spare time with the god.

Maybe getting Koenma to love her wasn't such a good idea... At least, that's what her conscience thought, but at the time, she wasn't listening to its softly spoken words of truth.

And inside a forest, a tree burnt to ashes. The burner of that tree thought to himself, Never again, before the tattoo on his back spoke again. This time, he didn't resist its voice.

Why bother? He doesn't love me, so what else do I live for...? Nothing...

End Day 3's early afternoon.

1 Hina, Hiei's mom, cried a tear gem for Hiei when he was a baby, but during a fight he lost it a few years later. (Hence you don't see it during the first series, at least. That gem, supposedly, reminded him of his reason for being there, and probably why he fights, too.) Then, Yukina found it and gave it back, supposedly, telling him to help her find her brother. He took it and now carries it with him, but he still never told her (as far as I know. After all, the person who gave him the Jagan Eye made him promise never to tell Yukina that he's her brother. He never had any intention of telling her, anyway.) Also, I've heard that Yukina gave him one of her own at one time...

2 I made up the name 'Hikina' from Hiei's mother's name, (Hi)na and Yu(kina)'s name. Don't ask about the brother. Just some odd thing that came to mind. Probably from the PSOne game, Suikoden.

This chapter took longer cuz I kept on getting booted off the computer! I hate having to share the computer with my brothers! Waa... I could just MURDER that dragon! Anyone ever heard of FFVII's JENOVA? Yeah, it's kinda like that... but you'll figure out what it's up to, sooner or later. Heheheh.

Hey, that's a cliffhanger, isn't it?

Started 3/20/03, Night; Finished 3/22/03, 11:45AM

Revisions: 10/11/03, 5/31/03


	7. Day 3c I've Been Tricked, and Snowball S...

10 Years of Waiting

by Kurohi Tatsaki

Day 3c - I've Been Tricked, & Snowball Showdown

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH, never will, but I own Kurohi, as y'all should know by now.

"speaking" thinking noise POV change beginning/ending of dreams flashback beginning/endings /Telepathic speech/ passing of time /strange voice/

Huh, you guys/girls must really like this stuff, huh? I'm getting, like, 4-8 reviews a day or so!

Unfortunately, my muse isn't cooperating. I've got a digimon "addiction" going, (Ken Ichijouji! Daisuke Motomiya!) and a Wild Arms 3 (Jet! Jet Jet Jet Jet Jet Jet-chan! ) addiction going at the same time with my Hiei and Kurama. Some of my friends think I'm crazy because of this.

Oh shit, I think I have a Tidus (FFX) addiction coming on... --'

Sometimes, I hate my muse.

Muse: acts huffily

"Because, baka, I still find you amusing," Hiei

The darkness enshrouded him, and so thick as it was, it made him shiver. He folded his arms against his chest to block out the cold that seemed to come from his own body. "What do you want to show me now, Dragon?"

A soft light shown in his eyes, and he hid those blue orbs with one pale hand. When the soft, bright light seemed to dim, only then did he remove his arm from his face.

A brown-haired teen, kinda like him. The boy's gaze was fixed on this boy.

Canary-yellow and baby-blue robes fluttered about his body. He could make out just about every detail of him, that flat stomach, those angelic arms…

"K... Koenma-sama!"

He turned to the boy, gold eyes shining. Then he vanished slowly into the light.

"Nan da do! Matte yo!" He quickly reached out as the traces slowly fled. He heard laughing behind him; he turned around, and came face-to-face with the one person he loathed.

"Kisama!"

The figure laughed, black cloak hiding all his features save his bright blue eyes. They glowed menacingly.

"You were the one who gave me the dragon mark, didn't you!"

"Ha! I did no such thing. How could I? I wasn't around a millennia ago." Though, I was around a bit earlier than your very birth! What I have said sounds strange even to my own ears, but hey, I like giving out false information! Haha!

He was taken aback; his brow furrowed. "N...nani? What are you talking about?" Curiosity should be exercised with caution at this point... he kept on telling himself. You don't know who he is, but you know. You just know that this guy is bad news. But, what does he mean?

I can't wait to punish you again! I never got to finish my work on you last time! "Hn. I shouldn't have even breathed that. You should be more worried about..." the man paused, and regarded the parts of the dragon mark that were easily seen on the fronts of the lad's bare shoulders and chest. "Wait a second, I've seen that mark before. Yes, one like that was applied to someone many years ago. I'd say a couple hundred thousand years ago when I first saw it. Why is it that you have one of those? You appear no more than seventeen." You should be looking at about your late twenties, not THIS young! I know I'm older than you, but this is ridiculous!

"Why, should I, answer, you?" he growled slowly.

/Child, you are right. You shouldn't answer him! He is far worse than I could ever be/ whispered the dragon. The mark gave him warmth in the atmosphere, which slowly grew colder. He now remembered why he found the voice so soothing again; he had long forgotten because he had miscalculated its intentions! The dragon never wanted to harm anyone with its dreams!

"Hm, 'Why should I answer you' you say?" mocked the man. "Because..."

/Don't listen to his words! Nothing but lies! Don't listen! Please don't listen, master/

"I am a part of you, you a part of me."

"Untrue!" snapped Kurohi. Deep in his mostly-demonic heart, he sensed no truth in this man's harsh words.

Those hated eyes regarded him. "Why would I lie?"

"Because..." he, too, hesitated, recalling whatever he could that the dragon had seen. "you made my friends suffer! You tampered with Dragon's weavings and made me lose trust in the only other being of few!"

A cold smile. "Well, at least you've got brains. I think I'll... chat with you later. Ciao."

The boy hated that man. He turned to the gray dragon behind him. Those warming violet eyes gazed softly back at him, despite the fact that irritation brewed in their depths. The owner of this dragon, the lad who stood before her, was unaffected, knowing full well what had made her so angry. /We will fix what went wrong. You know, he tricked you into thinking it was me that made your friends suffer./

Nodding once, the boy let the dragon continue.

/Furthermore, I suggest we have you wake up and rejoin the others. The wedding is about to begin./

He paused at this. "For how long was I out?"

/Approximately a quarter of an hour/ came the soft reply.

"Che. That short? Okay, wake me up. In this realm the only eyes I can open are my spiritual ones."

'As you wish, my darling master.'

He blushed slightly at the comment when he suddenly felt a flying sensation throughout his body, he closed his eyes to shield them from the rushing wind, and the first thing he heard was a wind's song. Kurohi's eyes snapped open and he viewed his surroundings. He was on the ground, hands draped between his knees, upper body slumped forward, and tail out behind him, twitching tiredly. He stood up and stretched, letting his lean muscles awaken from their short-lived slumber. He caught sight of the tree he burned and his brow furrowed as a small frown tugged his lips. He placed one hand against the ashes, and after a moment or two of releasing ki, a small sapling flourished from the rubble.

Content with this renewal of life, he trekked back to the site of the wedding, hands shoved serenely into his rough pockets.

"Oh, there you are, Kurohi-san!" was the first statement he received. Kami-sama, how he hated Botan. She always knew how to tick him off.

By merely existing. At first, he had liked her just enough to tolerate her bubbly voice.

But not now. It now sounded like ugly Sirens from the depths of hell. Somehow, she had taken Koenma-sama from him, and now they were gonna wed later! Damn that bitch!

He settled for a glare and bent up to whisper in her ear, "Be glad I haven't killed you yet, Botan," He placed extra strain so as not to say '-chan'. "because if you bother me much longer you might become what I did to a tree before I rebirthed it!" With that comment, he stalked off, tail lashing a bit left and right in an attempt to exert anger without harming anything... Well, he almost succeeded. His tail bashed into a chair, sending it flying through the air. Like a blur he caught it and put it back, careful not to hit it with his strong tail a second time. He had already made a dent in the steel. He continued to walk until he was clear out of sight.

"Well, I never!" huffed Botan once he was out of earshot. "I'm only taking what's rightfully mine! After all, Dragon Youkai aren't eternal, and both myself and Koenma are. He should find others with his same disposition."

Unfortunately, she didn't check those death records...

...or do research on a particular, ancient race.

Rather than gaze at what's going on in the wedding before me, I find staring at Hiei far more rewarding. His ruby gaze is riveted on both Yusuke and Keiko in a trained, focused manner.

I look away when I sense Hiei beginning to return my gaze. I need more time before I jump into things, as I don't feel that it's time for me to confess my undying love.

Time that I have, but I'm not Yusuke. I won't wait until the last second. I can't do that to Hiei, either.

/Kurama, why were you staring at me just now/ he asks me telepathically with his Jagan Eye.

A million different answers come forth, but these ones make themselves more apparent...

Because you're appealing to the eye, you're everything I could ask.

Yes, you're... everything.

Damn it, Kurama! Focus! The Bouquet is flying!

Botan caught it, and my eyes are somehow drawn to Koenma and Kurohi. Koenma seems a little pleased, but slightly confused.

And Kurohi?

He looks miserable, but hides it quickly. I see him mumble an excuse to Koenma, and he leaves, flitting out of sight.

/If Kurohi wants Koenma that badly, I wonder why he does nothing./

I look at him and whisper, "How should I know? Maybe, just maybe he wants Koenma to be happy, but seeing him with Botan..." ...brings him such pain.

Hiei snorts. He looks pretty adorable when he does that. "Then he's a fool. I never taught him to put others' pleasure before his own."

I stand up and look down at the Jaganshi. "Shall we see if we can help?"

"This is something he needs to do on his own," he replies. "He's a big boy."

I snag Hiei's right wrist, which is covered in the bandages that hide the Kokuryuhaa, though the tux hides even that save for what can be seen on the bases of his fingers. I give a gentle tug, noticing Hiei's startled and confused and alarmed expression. "C'mon, anyway! Let's get some cake before Kuwabara-kun eats it all!"

"Now that I can agree with!" he says, standing up. His tumbling emotions gone from his face only to be replaced by eagerness.

After Yusuke and Keiko-chan cut the cake, we dive in as well.

Hiei all but rudely shoves a bit of cake in his mouth with the fork as he eyes Kuwabara thoughtfully. He's now playing with Hikina, - who's making snow from her spirit energy - who's making the snow glide in his face like a gentle blizzard. The large man frowns at this, and brushes himself off just to have a snowball thrown in his face... no, make that two.

The fight of the century! Kuwabara versus Hikina and Kesumi!

"Oi, Hiei!" I say. "Why don't we throw snowballs at Kuwabara-kun?"

He smirks a little after swallowing some of that cake. "Once I'm done here." He fills a wineglass with his free hand and sips from it. I nod.

"Okay, Hiei." As long as he's happy right now, so am I. The fight can wait a bit longer.

SPLAT!

Hiei sputters on the wine as the cold substance hits him in the back of the head. It melts quickly and then sizzles as his body heat vaporizes it. He turns to the attacker and yells, "Kuwabaka! I'm eating! Can't it wait! Kuso!"

I frown a little. "Hiei, children are here and are listening. You don't wanna give them a potty mouth, do you?"

"Hn." He smiles a little at the thought even while Kuwabara-kun laughs his head off.

I smile slyly at the oaf, and he becomes nervous. I dash to the nearest side of the battlefield and grab some snow in my hand. I throw the ball at Kuwabara's face, but it misses by millimeters. He grins and scoops up snow, throwing it my way. I gracefully dodge to one side, snagging some snow as I skid, and hit him smack-dab in the face. He wipes his face of the snow, but I hurtle more snow at him, feeling Hiei's amused gaze on the fight.

Perhaps, I haven't rusted up yet.

I visibly shudder as a snowball lands on my neck, getting past my red hair, which I have tied back as well. I turn and look to the attacker. "Hiei!" I fake growl, grabbing snow and chucking it at him. He steps gently to the side and laughs, hands shoved in his pockets.

Kuwabara gapes at his reaction, so I throw a snowball in his mouth. He hacks and spits the intruding ice out and points an accusing finger at me. "Oi! No fair! Why's he all laughin' like that!"

"Because, baka, I still find you amusing," said Hiei after the laughter stopped. Everyone else was watching this spectacle.

"Oi! Hikina-chan, Yukina-chan?"

"Hai?" they both answered me.

"Make it snow around here some more, please?" I ask. "Hiei and I have some revenge to account for!"

"Okay, but be nice to Kuwa-kun!" chirped the Koorime lady.

"Sure!" I called.

Then, the snow began falling faster. "Yusuke and Keiko-chan don't have to fight. Team battle! Hiei-san, myself, and Koenma-sama versus Kuwabara-kun, Kesumi-chan, and Botan-chan!" I say.

"Kurama-san! Why're you splitting me and Koenma up!"

"Make things interesting! Ready, go!"

"Matte!" hollered a voice from above. "What 'bout me?"

"You be with me," I reply to the lone figure towering atop a tree. Best to have Koenma and Kurohi both fight Botan. "does Hikina-chan wanna be with her daddy?" I ask as the boy jumps down. The connection between snow and body weight makes no sound.

But landing so close to the god of death... The boy took one look at how close he was, then jumped back about a yard or two. He started on his snowball supply in silence, eyes rigidly focused on the task at hand.

"Hai!" she called, standing by her father, alongside her brother, and a reluctant Botan. She started to build a small fort for herself and Botan.

Hiei and myself began our fort. Kurohi crouched next to us, tail flashing, and said, "I have some more explaining to go through later. Please wait up for me at your place." Then he flitted away, leaving widely-spaced footprints in the snow.

After a few moments of preparing, the land explodes into frenzy. I get a glimpse of several snowballs landing in Botan's face at hyper speed. Same goes for Kuwabara, as Hiei's laughing so hard I can hardly imaging how he manages to continue throwing those soft blocks of ice. I throw a few eagerly at Kesumi and get a few blows onto me, myself.

One in particular, thrown at my face by someone who had managed to evade my senses, knocked me flat on my ass as I tried to rise again from the blow. "Okay! Who hit me!" I called. Hands pointed at...

Yusuke and Keiko!

"We can't let you all have the fun, can we!" yelled the newly-wed male. He chucked a fast one at Kuwabara. It nailed his shoulder.

Keiko had removed her dress in favor of some sort of skirt she brought with her.

"Keiko-chan insisted we be on opposing teams!" explained the brown-eyed reincarnated demon. "I'm with you, Kurama!" hollered Yusuke just as a snowball came his way. He ducked and threw another one at the orange-haired git.

"No fair! You got two lightning-fast ones on your side! I INSIST my team gets Kurohi or Hiei!" yelled Kuwabara.

"NO WAY!" retorted the A-Class Youkai. He now stood beside the god again. He strangely eyed him every now and again.

"I'll never willingly team up with HIM with a bunch of bumbling..." Hiei paused and stepped to one side as a wad of snow came his way. "...baka," he finished with a grin.

I liked this new Hiei; he also had all his old traits with him, too. Like that smirk, but I haven't seen him smirk really just yet... Oh! There it is!

Hiei threw a snowball at Kuwabara. It moved so fast, all the oaf noticed was that his face was cold and he was now on the ground. Botan seemed to also be a prime target for the Minamino-Hiei-Kurohi-Koenma-Urameshi team. The Kuwabara-Botan-Urameshi team's prime targets seemed to be Koenma and Kurama. Hiei and Kurohi weren't very practical targets, as their uncanny, but exact speed allowed them to evade blows with little effort on their part.

Kesumi and Hikina started to throw snowballs at Kurohi, but because of his partially untrained alert levels, they connected with a part of his anatomy more often than not. After a bit, he sensed a snowball coming at an angle that Koenma couldn't see, and he flitted over and swatted it away just as it came. It was at that time after the boy deflected the blow that Koenma decided to back up a little. His foot became entangled in the Youkai's orange and black-striped tail, causing the god to fall on top of the dragon demon. Kurohi tried to wriggle out from under the god as if his mere touch set the dragon aflame.

Actually, that's what it felt like. A fire far more intense than what he himself could conjure up sprung up from his tail and went straight to his groin. Koenma finally sat up, and tried to disentangle his leg from the long tail. The extended spine twitched and writhed at his very touch, and the boy was resisting the urge to growl in sinful pleasure.

"Kurohi! Hold. It. Still!"

"Okay, then you tell me how, damn it!" he shot back, trying his hardest to muffle the huskiness in his voice.

"You can't control your tail?" the gold-eyed man asked.

"Only a fourth of it is manual control!" he retorted. "Everything else is emotion and reaction!"

Koenma frowned; the tail had winded itself farther up his leg, and even more tangled. In a mild amount of irritation, he grasped the tail firmly, and was startled by a sharp, but long, low cry.

"Did I hurt you?"

Kurohi was silent, but the god could hear heavy breathing coming from the boy. The boy looked at him, face flushed with cold, but also arousal. Koenma, fortunately or not, didn't spot the latter. Kurohi grasped his own tail by a few points and slowly unwound it from the deity's limb. A few times, his callused hands had to grip the deus's leg to further unwind the long tail.

"Sorry about that, Sir."

Gone was the happy-sounding "Koenma-sama" title, and from the remains, a cold addressing of authority was born.

The boy made sure to stop protecting the god.

Everyone had gone their separate ways, tired, wet, and cold, but happy. Kurama and Hiei were now back home, in Youko's room.

"Hiei, I'm gonna take a bath to warm up," said Kurama shedding his tuxedo's dress shirt and placing it to one side. "You wanna go in next?"

"I'm a fire demon, remember? And, besides, it's summer."

Kurama nodded. "True, true. I was only asking, is all." Might as well anyway, just to clean up.

"Hn." Hiei was sitting, contentedly, on the edge of the fox's bed. He wore his normal black attire, save the shirt and shoes. He had changed quickly in the bathroom before Kurama had even started taking off parts of the wet suit.

The fox then went into the bathroom. Hiei simply watched the window and was mildly startled as a small blur treaded onto his branch. The blur tapped gently on the window with one finger and gazed at the demon on the other side with a blue gaze. Without a second thought, the black-haired demon moved the pane up and let the dragon demon inside.

Hiei frowned. "Kurama won't like it if you keep on dragging water in here like that. Here are some of Kurama's clothes."

The boy took the gray garments.

"Change into those and leave the wet ones in a pile somewhere on the floor."

"Hai, Hiei-san."

Hiei turned away, letting the hybrid demon dress without a gaze upon him.

When he finished, the boy uttered, "I'm decent."

Hiei looked at the hybrid standing in the middle of the room. "How'd you find Kurama and myself here?"

"Ki Signature. I've memorized yours, of course."

"So, what business do you have to address us this time?"

"First of all, I don't wanna have to explain this twice. Fox's in the shower, huh?"

The fire/koorime hybrid nodded once.

"Okay, then. I'll wait outside..." He seemed to have wanted to add something just for kicks, but decided to act against it. However, Hiei's curiosity got the better of him.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I wouldn't wanna mess up a kodac moment between you and Your Fox, Hiei-sama," he replied slyly.

"Em? 'My Fox'?"

Kurohi answered this with, "Well, yeah. 'Your Fox'. I can practically see something between you two. How about this, I'll drop by tomorrow afternoon, okay? But just so that my trip isn't wasted, I'll say this: My dragon isn't the enemy." With that, he flitted out the window.

Kurama reentered his room wearing a towel on his head and a pair of lavender slacks. Hiei eyed the fox's half-nude, moist body for a short moment before saying, "Kurohi came while you were in the bath."

"Oh? What did he want?"

"He said that his dragon wasn't the enemy, and that he'd make a trip back here tomorrow afternoon. Oh, and I let him borrow some of your clothes. His were dripping wet."

"Adopting some of my personality, now, Hiei?" asked the fox innocently, whipping off the towel from his head and tossing it with the rest of the wet clothes that Kurohi had left behind.

"Hn. He would've ruined your floor. I certainly didn't want to take the heat from you," he replied with a small grin.

The green-eyed male eyed the clock and turned to his best friend, though that little fact was what the fox was afraid of losing. "It's a bit late. Why don't we call it a day?"

Saying nothing, Hiei grabbed a spot close to the wall on the bed. Kurama took the edge of it. "Did you have fun, Hiei?" he asked, just enough to lull himself to sleep. The demon's presence certainly had a waking affect on him.

"Yeah. You?"

"Mmm-hmm..."

Hiei yawned and curled up a bit, facing the wall. Kurama tugged the blankets against his form and shivered slightly. Sensing this, the Jaganshi rolled over to see Kurama. He himself slid under the covers and wrapped his arms around the redhead's middle, pulling him close. He snuggled the side of his face into Kurama's back, breathing in the aromatic scent of roses. My fox... were his last thoughts before he drifted into slumber.

Kurama's gaze flicked and remained on the Jaganshi's peaceful face. My Inari-sama... he's... holding me... Maybe, there is... a... chance for us... The fire-demon's body warmth quickly stopped the chill that flowed in his body, and he, too slept, leaning gratefully against the form behind him.

There were no nightmares.

End Day 3

nanda do - W-what! (My only references are what Yusuke says in one of my audio CDs Music Battle Hen, and what Sion says in Japanese in "The Bouncer")

kisama - (I've heard this means "you" but in a very hateful manner)

Hey, does anyone have a name suggestion for Kurohi's dragon? I drew her, and she has a sort of delicate face with large eyes. She has horns and wings that look like longer waves similar to Hiei's black dragon, but she's gray in color. Just refer to the eye color of the tattoo. Also, refer to other chapters that speak of her capabilities if you need assistance. Oh, and to make comparisons a little easier, on the PSOne game called "Dragon Seeds," there is a blue-green Saurian Dragon. Kurohi's dragon has the baby-form of that dragon's face, and everything else like the Kokuryuhaa.

R&R!

Again, sorry this took so long! My muse was bein' an ass!

Muse: grumbling about stupid ningen

Started 3/22/03, 10:37PM; Finished 3/25/03, 1:40PM

Revisions: 10/11/03, 5/31/03


	8. Day 4 Who's How Old, and Enemy's Plan

10 Years of Waiting  
  
by Kurohi Tatsaki  
  
Day 4 - Who's How Old, & Enemy's Plan  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own YYH, never will, but I own Kurohi, as y'all should know by now.  
  
"speaking" [thinking] {noise} ~~~~~~ POV change ****** beginning/ending of dreams ********* flashback beginning/endings //Telepathic speech// *** passing of time /strange voice/  
  
Scarby - I'm using the name you suggested! It actually seems like it would work out! No offense to anyone else...  
  
Gabbi and Demon Dog - I am also a great fan of dragons! I own the game (which got 2/5 disk ratings...) "Dragon Seeds", and those who know about this game might find a certain bird-like dragon near the end of this chapter veeeerrrry familiar!  
  
My muse was cooperating! Ha ha!!  
  
Muse: ^_^ *ears twitch*  
  
-------------------------------------------  
  
"That will teach those lying, incompetent bastards to mess with me!" Mean One of Dreams  
  
When the night skies open  
  
The bright stars twinkle  
  
I've been living in the dark  
  
Like a piercing dream in my mind  
  
----------I shall not forget.  
  
You, by whom this closed heart has been opened  
  
A Goodbye Is the Beginning of Tomorrow, Kurama  
  
--------------------------------  
  
"Yowaihaiiro? Yowaihaiiro! What's going on? Tell me! Where am I?!"  
  
/I... I can't stop this from happening here. You're... going to have to watch this, child. Truth must speak at some point.../  
  
"Watch?! Watch what?!" I snapped. I heard something in the background, but it was all funny-sounding, y'know how you can hear more than one voice at one time? Well, add some static, then add a few of those voice-morpher thingies. Yeah, that's what all the talking sounds like to me right now.  
  
/I stand corrected. Listen. Don't you hear them?/  
  
"Hear what?!!"  
  
/Shh.../  
  
"~... seems to be surviving...~"  
  
"~I just don't understand! Why do such to this child?! He never did anything to you!~" pleaded a kinder voice than the first. Both voices were male.  
  
"~You forget... that this child is an 'it'. It has no significance other than this project! You're a fool to think otherwise!!~"  
  
I heard a stirring sound from beside me, and when I looked, I was treated to a foggy image of gray. All three people were faceless. I knew the two standing were the ones talking. And then...  
  
A child in a chamber full of some liquid. What were they doing to him? So many wires... so many tubes...  
  
I shivered and closed my eyes, but the image before me was shown even more clearly behind my eyelids. I realized my eyes wouldn't open. I had to see!  
  
"~But... he's still a child! You're crazy to start the project now! And besides that, aren't you a part of his race?!!~" He had gray hair and green eyes. He wore large spectacles on his face. He was near the mean man, who was eyeing a chamber.  
  
"~You are forgetting that I found it in a hundred-thousand-year-old rock! It has astounding preservation skills! I, however, did not have to do that! *I* lasted through the ice-age without being trapped! It is much younger than I! Why would I experiment on myself?!~" This one had black hair, gold eyes, and dragon horns. He was winged, and a long tail came from out from under his white lab coat.  
  
A Ryu Youkai... *I* thought *I* was the last...  
  
"~Hush! You're waking him up!~"  
  
I managed to discern two blue eyes open from inside the chamber of liquid.  
  
Blue eyes?  
  
Who is he?  
  
"~Uu..ugh... Where... wha...~" his mumbling paused, and the orbs glared at a thin man in a white coat. His small fists started to pound against the confinements. "~Who are you?! What am I doing here?! Let me OUT, DAMN YOU!!~"  
  
"~He has quite the temper, doesn't he? Rather interesting that I picked up a few DNA samples from a group of demons recently. Very fortunate that I had access to the Reikai back then - eight years ago.~"  
  
"~What kind of samples?~" asked the kind voice in concern.  
  
"~Two demons. One is a fire demon and Koorime crossbreed, very interesting for that one. The other... a silver Youko with human form as a base. I wonder what would happen if I infused-~"  
  
"~Shut up with yer mumbo-jumbo! Shut up! Shut up!! SHUT UP OR I'LL KILL YOU, DAMN IT!!! I'LL KILL YOU, YOU BASTARD!!! SHUT UP, *SHUT UP, SHUT UP!!!!!*~"  
  
I was abruptly cut off. By what, I don't know.  
  
"That... that voice..." I looked up at my dragon, knowing full well that fear was written in my words and my eyes. "Was that... it *can't* be... was that... how could it be..." I stammered. "It simply... isn't..."  
  
/Yes. That voice, was yours. You were the-/  
  
"It can't be!" I pressed my hands against my ears and shook my head. "No, no, no, no, NO! I'm only seventeen! I'm only SEVENTEEN!! How could I be so old?! I simply CAN'T be that old! God damn it!!!!"  
  
She smiled a little. "Because you're an ancient race that I knew nothing of until our fusion. You're now a Dragon Youkai because of me. We dragons can live for millennia. But, on some occasions, your race lives forever!'  
  
"WHY DIDN'T YOU EVER TELL ME?!!" I shouted. I looked up at my gray dragon, stood up, and declared, "HERE I WAS, PINING BECAUSE I COULD NEVER LIVE LONG ENOUGH TO BE WITH KOENMA-SAMA, AND YOU *NOW* TELL ME I COULD LIVE WITH HIM FOR ETERNITY?!" My throat hurt. My mind hurt...  
  
And now I was crying again. Tears of anger, tears of anguish, but mostly, anger.  
  
Needless to say, I was pissed just as I had in that "memory."  
  
I then felt a wind pull me out of my dream. When I opened my eyes, I saw several Hirui-seki stones near my feet. I gathered those in one hand, and shoved them into the pocket of my lent garment. I flitted back to the Hatanaka and Minamino residence, and rested on a worn tree branch that extended to the windowpane. I tapped gently on the glass, and the youko lifted it open for me to enter. It was afternoon, after all. I stepped in with uncertain steps, slightly woozy from the sleepless night.  
  
"Are you all right? You don't look so good."  
  
"I'm fine, really, Kurama," I reply softly, then I place my hands in an odd gesture - clasped before my belly. "Um, I hate to sound needy, but are my clothes done? I don't feel comfortable keeping your clothes."  
  
He nods once. "Yes, here you are." I take my clothes from that pretty fox. "Once Hiei is done, you may change in there."  
  
I nod once and sit down on the bed. I frown slightly. So... several years ago, I was a lab experiment...  
  
I had lived a long, long time and survived to this time. Yowaihaiiro said it was because of her that I managed to last as long as I did.  
  
And now I might be able to last for eternity?  
  
Like Koenma... Hey! I dropped the 'sama' part!  
  
"Kurohi?"  
  
"AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!" I jumped into the air at the call of my name. I laughed when I saw Hiei right next to me and babbled, "Hi~ei-sa~ma~~~! Don't *DO~* that!!"  
  
Hiei and Kurama laughed at my expense. Huffily, but still chuckling, I entered the bathroom and slammed the door behind me, locking it right after. I shed all my garments and was about to put on my pants when I saw the mirror.  
  
My image blinked back at me as I did, and I turned around to see the tattoo. I really hadn't had a good chance to look at it since I got it.  
  
Well, the head was lost at my chest, according to the image in the mirror, and all I could see on my back was its body and the wings that were near my right shoulder blade. The rest was all tail and energy bits. Nothin' too fancy.  
  
In reality, it was just a big dragon with a baby-face.  
  
I then looked at the rest of my body. I was a slender, but compact build; an odd mix of, what it seemed, Hiei and Kurama. I flexed my arm, and, sure enough, the muscle contracted just like Hiei's. I blink once at my finding.  
  
Okay, I was officially weirded out!  
  
I pulled on my pants, followed by my boots and pulled on my blue button- down, gray dragon dark blue shirt. Remembering the other stones I had placed in the borrowed pants' pocket, I removed them and placed them in my own jeans ones. Then I exited.  
  
"Took you long enough, Kurohi," Hiei clipped. "So, what do you need to report?"  
  
"Yowaihaiiro, the dragon of dreams that resides as a mark on my back, is on our side, and there's something else... I don't know who he is, but he was the one that made that nightmare Kurama had so twisted." I paused. "Apparently, Yowaihaiiro wanted to tell Kurama something, but the cloaked man who has gold eyes fiddled with it. And, something I've seen..." I paused, uncertain how to word all this that I discovered just by one dream. "Well, Yowaihaiiro? She couldn't stop me from seeing something she had been trying to hide from me... A part of my past, actually."  
  
Slowly, the dream began to fade.  
  
"Shit... The details... Over a hundred-thousand years old...?" My gaze went to the ground. "Two people and DNA samples... Two demons... A specimen... A project... What were they, damn it?!" I felt anger brewing inside me, and the rest of the dream vanished. "I'm... I'm sorry..." I looked up. "For a while there, I knew more about myself, but now I'm left with more questions... DAMN IT!!" [I... I can't remember!! It's like I never had that dream at all!]  
  
~~~~~~  
  
/That was a close call. He is a bit more intelligent than I gave him credit./  
  
A dark hood was pulled off an innocent face that held slanted, almond- shaped eyes. Long lashes hooded the eyes until the dark gold irises were shown. He shook his hair free of the hood, revealing dark brown locks of spiky hair. He looked around his chamber and slipped out and into the garden outside.  
  
He made a shrill whistle, and a large, one-red-eyed, blue bird that held a small sword and shield flew in.  
  
"Taka?"  
  
"Yeah?" piped the newborn dragon.  
  
Producing a small envelope, he handed it over. "Deliver this to Ryu Youkai Mikado Teupo-sama." He smirked. "Tell him it's from Ryu Youkai Oji Shirokoori-sama."  
  
"Yes Sir!" the Winged Saurian piped before taking the letter in its beak, lined with small, sharp fangs, and flying off into the sun, still clutching its weapons in its claws.  
  
"That will teach those lying, incompetent bastards to mess with me! Once I obtain the Shihono'o, those bakayaro will know never to mess with me!" He laughed some and folded his arms across his chest.  
  
"...And the boy... He was so close to the truth I could feel my revenge AND position of power slipping away. As long as the boy cannot figure out how to live forever, my rank will be undamaged. Fortunately, his time is running short; this depression is making his death all the more sooner!! Oh, Kami, this is soooo good!" He chuckled again, and went back inside  
  
From the shadows, a horned, winged and tailed boy watched, violet eyes dim in the darkness. They narrowed, and the figure slunk out of sight, a sword banging gently against his back.  
  
[Father will not be pleased. I wonder what's in his letter?]  
  
End Day 4  
  
-------------------------------------------  
  
Ryu = Dragon  
  
Youkai = Demon  
  
Mikado = Emperor  
  
Taka = Hawk  
  
Oji = Prince  
  
Shiro = White  
  
Koori = Ice  
  
Shi = Death  
  
Hono'o = Flame  
  
Bakayaro = [You] Jerk!/Stupid bastard!/You bastard!  
  
Ooh! Who's that figure? I know who he is, but I bet you don't! One last character or so of my making! He's got a nice name, too!  
  
Shirokoori: Hey! You made me be a bad guy!!  
  
KT: -_- Don't forget, in this realm, you're NOT Kurohi's aibou.  
  
Shirokoori: Damn!  
  
???: So, am I good guy or bad?  
  
KT: You're the second-in-command of Ryu Youkai Mikado Teupo; most likely, a good guy.  
  
???: Yay! I'm a good guy for the second time since you created me! Yay! ^_^  
  
KT: Don't forget, that's not how you might act during the later situation.  
  
???: o_o *weak voice* Later situation?  
  
KT: Hehehe.  
  
???: OoO'''' *screams like a girl* AAAAAAAAAAAHHH---*gasp*HHHHHHHHHH-------- --------!!!! *faint, thud*  
  
KT: -_o Don't worry. This will be only the first time he has gone before a larger audience than a teacher. After all, he did come from one of my original myths, but I have not posted any of them anywhere. (I want it more in-depth than 4 pages normally typed with only tabs)  
  
Oh, and to explain something: Dragon Youkai (I don't think there actually are any in the series) in this fic, at least, Dragon (Ryu) Youkai are nonexistent unless they have the mark (Gray Dragon tattoo on any part of their body. [Kurohi's goes from one shoulder to the other and across his back, as you might already know] Hiei doesn't count because his is a black dragon)  
  
Sorry this isn't much Kurama/Hiei; I needed to do this to advance the plot.  
  
Started 3/25/03, 3:50PM; Finished 3/25/03, 9:11PM  
  
Revisions: 10/11/03, 6/2/03 


	9. Day 5 Ai Kokuhaku

10 Years of Waiting

by Kurohi Tatsaki

Day 5 - Ai Kokuhaku

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH, never will, but I own Kurohi, as y'all should know by now.

"speaking" thinking noise POV change beginning/ending of dreams flashback beginning/endings /Telepathic speech/ passing of time /strange voice/

KT: There are TWO versions of this chapter. This one is the edited version who's rating does not exceed PG-13. If you don't wanna read something more graphic than that DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT click the button that lets you go automatically to the next chapter!

Scarby - Kurama and Hiei here!

My muse was cooperating! Ha ha!

Muse: ears twitch

I managed to go to five Microsoft word pages without lyrics or quotes in one night! Luv ya, Muse Taki! (Taki means "waterfall" or "cascade" in Japanese!) glomps Taki despite normal reacton

Muse Taki: blinks foxy silver eyes during the glomp Are humans always this... weird?

KT: MAJOR HIEI & KURAMA FLUFF ALERT! ALL Kurama/Hiei goodness! Arigatou Gozaimasu for being patient, reviewers!

"Hiei, even after thirteen years, you still drive me over the edge..." Kurama

I find my mind constantly lingering upon night before last. I had felt the gentle, but intense warmth of Hiei pressed softly, yet firmly, against my back. His strong arms had encircled my waist, and I felt his head nestled against me as well. I could very well smell the demon's unique scent... full of the outdoors and freshly-fallen rain, along with his own scent, strong and alluring. His mere presence warded off the nightmares...

I might not tell him for a while, though. I'm not sure what to make of all this. Was he just being friendly, or...

Was he in love with me as I am with him?

Watching Hiei eat has always been a nice little pastime for me. Usually one of the only moments I can see him at some semblance to contentment. After a moment or two of my gazing this time around, his ruby eyes flash upward, and I blink at the movement. He swallows the remnants of ramen in his mouth and regards me curiously with a touch of irritation.

Not a good sign. He's got a "yellow" warning about him.

"This is getting out of hand, fox," he begins. "Why the hell are you staring at me... like that?"

I guess I might have to tell him. Maybe. I cast my eyes to the side, contemplating what it is I should say; what I must say; what I want to say. Closing my eyes for a moment, I gather my courage.

"Hiei..." I begin, opening my eyes again and looking right at those blood-red orbs that can regard someone, anyone, without emotion, but for once, they carry some semblance to humanity. This is harder than I thought. I don't want it to sound sappy, corny or anything like that. I don't want him to run away from me again and go back to that bitch Mukuro.

Who knows what they did. I pray that that half-robot wench kept her hands off Hiei.

Great, now I'm becoming frustrated and jealous. I rest my head in one hand after setting my chopsticks down. "...It's... rather difficult for me to explain..." I say rather truthfully.

"So?" he asks. "Try. You've never given up, as far as I've seen. In fact, you're the last person I'd expect to give up when an obstacle threatens to deter you. After all, you ARE a five-hundred-year-old silver fox." He grins slightly at this - just a little tug of his mouth quirking up. It's not a smirk, that's for sure!

I laugh warmly. "True, Hiei, true; however, this is no ordinary obstacle I've encountered. Not even as my days as Youko Kurama: The Notorious Thief of Makai." Except with Kuronue... but I didn't have to be careful. I just flat-out said it, and all of a sudden, we were lovers...

He eats a bit more ramen before also setting his chopsticks aside. He pushes his food to his left, folds his arms on the table and rests his head there. He eyes me with a gaze slightly hooded by his bangs, which haven't gotten longer since so long ago. He looks both bored and tired. I can't say I don't agree. It's been a fairly taxing week, with what the wedding, snow fight and the rest of the happenings around here.

Thank Inari it's summer vacation!

But... to come to think of it, even before Hiei got his cute butt down at my house, thing's've started to get pretty weird... And did I just say his butt was cute...!

Hiei still expects me to speak even after this pause. I must tread very, very carefully. "Okay, I'll try to explain," I begin again. "Let's just say that there's this person I know really well, and he's in love with this other person, and he wants to tell, but he's scared that the love of his entire life will run away or simply hate him and lose friendship entirely." I was careful not to imply that both were male. "However, there are some facts present that go against that, but he's still uncertain. What do you think he should do?"

"Confront the problem close-up and personal, I suppose. At least, that's what I'd do."

Hiei giving reasonable advice? "Oh? You like someone?"

He is silent. "Tell no one," he says after a moment, the unsaid threat of physical injury hovering in the air. "However, your friend's predicament is similar to my own, believe it or not; there are some differences, though," he says enigmatically.

"Oh?"

"Don't make me elaborate," he retorts, looking away.

I chuckle. "Of course, Hiei."

Another silence takes the cake, and even the Jaganshi isn't hungry anymore. I decide to speak again. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to, but, who do you like?"

He stiffens slightly as if I had said something wrong. His gaze flicks upward to meet mine before it returns to the crook of his arm that is bandaged up, or the wall, but I'm unsure. His eyes are half-lidded, as if exhausted. Judging by the way that he's carrying himself right now, even while sitting on his chair, he probably is.

Standing up, I go right next to him and sit on the floor next to him. He looks down at me in a curious, lazy way. His hair is unbound, falling across his back and shoulders in an inky waterfall that I've been dying to run my fingers through once more.

You know, thirteen years of saying nothing about anything has really, really, really tried my patience. "...Okay," I begin once more, bravely looking up him in the eyes. "I'll come clean with you, Hiei. The first person I was talking about? I was referring to... myself."

He blinks twice, eyes slightly wider; he makes no comment, though his mouth is open in a cute little "o", and I wanna kiss him...

"And, the other person..." I close my eyes a moment before opening them and uttering bravely, "...you."

He sits up and regards me with his now active gaze. He raises an eyebrow. "You were afraid that I'd run away, or say that I hated you, and stopped being your friend? Fox, you know me better than that," he says softly, and leans forward slightly. His center of balance shifts even more as he leans downward as well. "Well, I guess my problem's halfway solved, then," he utters slowly in his beautiful deep voice.

This time, it's my turn to look agape. "N...nani?"

He smirks triumphantly. "Ha ha! I've confused you, huh?"

"A little..." I admit softly. My gaze doesn't break off from his.

"Hn. Watashi no baka kitsune," he says, his hands open-fisted in his lap.

What? "My stupid fox"? Wait... get rid of the "baka" and...

"H...Hiei..." I am at a loss for words, ho, ho, ho, THAT would be a first.

A small smile forms on his lips as he realizes that I have realized what he just called me. He leans even closer to me, and awkwardly brushes his soft lips against my own. I feel his hand cupping the side of my face with one bandaged limb. A soft moan blossoms in my chest and I kiss him back, the expert I am, since I retained every single memory while I was a youko. Hiei pulls back a little.

"My fox?" he asks with a fairly innocent expression. I never knew he had it in him.

His hand his still on me.

This was new; he wants acknowledgment; he's asking, not ordering. Interesting, but I know much better than to toy with him. How can I tease him now? "Your fox. Forever." I press a soft kiss to his lips again for emphasis that I'd never leave him for all the riches in Makai or Reikai or anywhere, and once again I pull back. "But will you be mine?"

He sits down on the floor in front of me and kisses me again, pressing just a little harder than before. Gently, I prod against his lips with my tongue, and he hesitantly opens up for me. His mouth tastes... well, it is rather sweet, with a slight aftertaste of the ramen noodles. He moans softly, and after a while, he then tries to take the upper hand. I'm now the one moaning, as he is rather good; I don't think he ever kissed anyone before. He was much too closed off at the time. After this, we part for air.

"I'll be yours, if you never leave me," he says once he can speak coherently.

I pull him close. "I'd never dream of it. Never. I won't leave you! Never have, never will."

"Kurama..." He buries his head against my neck and wraps his arms against the top of both my shoulders. His warm breath cascades against my skin, and makes me shiver. In instinct, my fingers flex against both the clothes on his back and his unbound, soft hair.

We sat there for a long time, and I let this moment last as long as it dares. Truth be told, I felt overjoyed that he finally confessed his feelings to me, though overjoyed is an understatement.

I'm so blithe I'm crying in silence. Tears fall down my face and soak in his ivory and snowy-white-streaked hair, and then I feel Hiei's callused fingertips gently brush away those droplets. "Daijobu ka, koi?"

I nod twice and bury my head against his shoulder, holding him tightly, but not so tightly to result in discomfort for my Youkai.

Strange, now it is no longer "the Youkai" but "my Youkai".

Slowly, the tears cease, and I look to one side at Hiei's peaceful face. You know, I haven't seen him much like that in all the years that I've known him. Those eyes slide open halfway after a moment or two, and we gaze into the other's eyes, never flinching, never wavering except maybe to blink every two minutes or so.

Hiei's eyes have slight variations, as they aren't all red, believe it or not. They have small, hardly perceptible brown flecks deep inside that ruby, nearest to the irises.

No wonder Kesumi-chan has brown eyes with red flecks. Those two colors are in the gene pool.

"Hiei, even after thirteen years, you still drive me over the edge..." I muse aloud.

"Does that have a double-meaning, fox?" he asks slyly. Hey, I thought I was supposed to be the sly one! I AM a fox, after all!

"Maybe, maybe not," I reply twice as astutely, grinning.

"Fox...!" he whines, seemingly "injured" by my retort.

I kiss the tip of his short nose, which makes him cross his eyes for a moment, then look at me with mock indigence. "but I think it has two meanings. Just not yet," I finish softly.

"Hn." His grin shows his fangs this time. "Afraid I'll be squeamish and run off?"

I smile. "Hiei, I know you better than that," I reply, using his own words back at him.

"I know you know."

There is silence, then I ask, "Wanna watch a movie? I'll let you eat ice-cream, too."

He eyes me in feigned suspicion. "What are YOU up to, now, fox?"

I grin. "You'll see, you'll see."

End Day 5

ai love

kokuhaku confession

watashi no my

koi love (most likely short for "lover")

koibito lover (also used as boy/girlfriend)

Kurama: Waaa! I love you, Tatsaki-san... er... -chan... er...

KT: rolls eyes I think you'd better use "-san". That way you don't get mine and my character's genders all mixed up. After all, me, the writer, am a girl, and the user is a boy.

Kurama: Yes sir! Er, ma'am... eh... little help, Hiei?

Hiei: Hn. Just use "-san" and save the "-chan" for me later.

Kurama: Okay, Hiei-chan!

Hiei: OO Ehh... forget what I said?

Kurama: Of course, Hiei-koi!

Hiei: blushes Hn! Whatever, fox!

Started 3/26/03, Night; Finished 3/29/03, 2:03PM Revisions: 10/11/03, 6/4/03


	10. Day 6 Rain & Wind, but No Fire

10 Years of Waiting

by Kurohi Tatsaki

Day 6 - Rain and Wind, but No Fire

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH, never will, but I own Kurohi, as y'all should know by now.

"speaking" thinking noise POV change beginning/ending of dreams flashback beginning/endings /Telepathic speech/ passing of time /strange voice/

Rose Thorne - rolls eyes Oh, now you're gonna regard my amateur grammar? I only have a dictionary, not a "how to fluently speak Japanese" book! flips to a page Oh! You're right! My bad! It IS "watashi no baka kitsune"! ' I'll have to reedit some parts of my fic at a later date. (Some were the wrong "which" for example. My friend just happened to want to read it, she caught some of the mistakes, and now she's BEGGING for updates)

All Koenma/Kurohi here! Angsty; you have been warned.

The scent of the air changed. Large eyes blinked in the dark night. They shone with curiosity and dread. Those eyes narrowed minutely at the findings of their mind.

Huh. Was it raining again? And in the summer, no less?

Indeed, a small shower began, several droplets hitting his small nose, and then it all picked up. He looked up into the dark sky and squinted further to hold back some of the rain from going into his huge, bright blue eyes.

Just great... a small storm. Damn! I hate the cold!

It was cold; it was dark.

And why wasn't he warm?

He shivered. He wanted something. He wanted to be wanted, but... Wait... he knew he was a multi-hybrid. Just as much human as fire demon, youko and dragon.

But why, now, did his fire demon blood fail him?

Why would he want anyone, anyway? He got along fine on his own...

Hmph. Yeah, right.

He got along fine on his own until he met Koenma!

Koenma...

And who was punishing him now? The only close place for rest was Koenma's place. (A/N: Is it a palace or what? I dunno, that's why I'm asking!)

Wasn't he just lucky!

He groaned. NO WAY would he be sleeping outside again.

No. Way.

That left only one option.

With a defeated sigh, the figure flitted to the direction of Koenma's Office. No doubt he would be awake then.

Koenma...

The name made his heart soar and ache all at once.

On one hand, he was a charming, handsome, delicate, and tricky young man.

On the other, he didn't like the fact he loved Botan, and just thinking about the advancing wedding made his chest hurt like a bitch and it made breathing a burden. His eyes narrowed at this newfound pain.

His life was now, officially, Hell.

His inhuman heart thumped in his chest; he felt tired. He panted while running; he shouldn't be winded like this.

At least, not under normal circumstances of running.

And these WERE normal circumstances of running.

Save the fact Koenma was engaged to goddamn, oar-ridin', fuckin' bitch Botan!

As he neared Reikai, the rain slowed to a mere, comforting drizzle.

He knew it wouldn't last.

Kurohi's clothes were, for the second time, drenched. He entered the facility and stealthily made his way into Koenma's Office, water dripping softly to the floor like blood, marking his trail in a watery, uneven line.

He had to see him again. Just had to!

He kept himself hidden, almost lulled to sleep by the repetitive stamping and muttering of the currently-seeming toddler god.

After a while, the lights went out, and Kurohi slept in the corner, chin tucked against his chest. Strangely, he felt half-awake even through unconsciousness was just beyond the door.

He heard something, disturbing his light sleep. His eyes darted to the seemingly deserted room he inhabited.

He shivered as he heard the noise again and bit his lip to hold back the shiver's other effects, which usually had him make some sort of noise. He wouldn't let himself be discovered... Never.

A short figure entered the room, the noise still around. "Kurohi, what are you doing here?" asked a confused voice.

The boy blinked and gasped softly. The gasp turned into a startled, low growl. His heart thudded against his chest again, and that reaction was apparent through the pendant, which was bright amongst the shadows of the small office. It was bright enough to be seen through his shirt.

Not to mention that if one looked, they could see his flesh behind the shirt during each blink.

"Sleeping," he replied tiredly.

"In here on the floor with wet clothes?" asked Koenma, pacifier still in his mouth.

"This place was closest, sir. I didn't want to bother you. Besides, it was cold and wet out there." He looked away. "I don't like it..."

Koenma blinked. "Ah, so it WAS you that I saw come in. For a moment, I thought you were Hiei. After all, you both share the same speed."

He was silent. He closed his watery eyes, but it was very visible that he was conscious. He finally spoke after a while. "Why... why do you love Botan?"

Koenma frowned. "I... Well, I've known her a long, long, looonng time."

"That makes no sense, sir." He opened his eyes and stared at the god who, right now, looked like an infant. He saw past that innocent façade. I've loved you since I saw you, even when we were enemies... You seemed... glad that I didn't call you a toddler... even when we first met... I actually had the lucky guess that you were much older than you looked.

"How so?"

"Just because you've known someone for a long time, doesn't always mean that you fall in love with them. Ever heard of 'love at first sight'?" he asked just as coldly as his skin temperature. The boy sneezed and looked away, shaking because of the cold he felt. You loved it when I took you to that carnival. I spent all my money on all the games you wanted to play. I didn't even care that my punishment was to starve for a week because it was beyond my honor code to steal or kill for food like I used to. I had made you happy and I didn't care what was in store for me. Call me stupid, or anything of the like but... "...y'know, I love you..." he murmured, accidentally finishing his thought verbally.

"You... you do?"

"Yes," he replied with a nod. No use denying anything. "Despite the fact I'm not eternal. But, I AM a Dragon Youkai..." Bits and fragments of the dream resurfaced from their slumber. "Y'know, I've lasted a long, long time."

"How long?" asked the god.

"Don't know." His heart pounded faster, and he seemed okay mentally, but he felt he was going to pass out.

Not again...

"Sir?"

"Em?" He looked a little distant until now.

"If... I were eternal, would you... love me?"

Koenma couldn't answer. He put himself into the teen form and thought a moment after sitting down next to and against the boy. He could easily hear the boy's quick, demonic heartbeat, and could see it with the stone around his neck and the one in his pocket. He pulled it out.

"You cried, didn't you?" he asked, avoiding the question. "Back at the wedding... Isn't that stone around your neck also one of your tears?

He looked back at the god and nodded vaguely. "I think so... but I don't remember crying before recently and having it accumulate to such a massive size." You made me cry that gem that's in your hand. You love Botan... I can't make you love me. Never dream of it, but...

"So, please tell me! I love you, I want you and..." He stopped, blushing a deep crimson before that beautiful god. He closed his eyes a moment and looked away, staring at his feet. Damn it, I think I might be going crazy... "I... I'll respect your decision that you want to wed Botan... but..." He shook his head. "Wait, there are no 'buts', are there?"

He had a vague feeling of suffocation. Like it was too difficult to breathe the air. He stifled it best he could. He stood up, knees weak and chest aching. He braced himself against the wall and panted inaudibly. He closed his eyes for a moment; he felt his center of balance wavering, and with a soft cry, fell to the ground. He couldn't see.

"K-Kurohi-chan! D-daijobu ka!"

He felt hands on his shoulders, that flipped him over onto his back. A hand touched his chest and lifted a weight off it. The same object that left replaced the weight. He opened his eyes and blinked, panting softly for a moment. The ache began to fade like a dream. He slowly sat up and gazed at Koenma.

His gold eyes glittered with concern, worry and fear. "K...Kurohi-chan, daijobu ka?"

"H-hai..." Wait... how he said my name... "Matte... you said, 'Kurohi-chan'..." My ears MUST have deceived me! No way that he loves me! He loves BOTAN!

"Em, yeah, doshite?"

"Since you don't like me like that," he replied. "then don't say '-chan'. Understood?"

"Yes, Kurohi, I understand." Inside, he was starting to question his devotion to Botan.

"Good," he retorted coldly, sadness thick in his voice. He leaned against the wall, hands splayed limply outward. He closed his eyes.

Kami, how he wanted to cry...

"Kurohi?"

"Mmm?" The god's scent tickled his senses, and he was seduced into opening his eyes halfway.

They were watery. He closed his eyes again and stood up. His hand was clenched near his side.

He was still dripping water all over the floor. It fell with the slowness of blood. The tears fell off his cheeks and clung to the jawbone in one futile attempt to remain with their master.

"You were crying... because I am engaged to Botan?"

The boy nodded; three stones fell to the floor, echoing like jewelry when they connected.

A few more tears escaped the boy's eyes, sliding down his face, and the instant that they let go of their hold, a few more hirui-seki stones connected with the floor. His body shook with unvoiced sobs as he stood strong in the middle of the room. He felt strong arms embrace him from behind. They locked at the hands near his stomach, and someone rested their head on his shoulder. A small tremor went through his body and he forced his body not to arch at the new sensation of being held. The boy let his eyes seek the "intruder".

Blue met gold with orange-brown flecks.

Blue eyes widened in surprise, disbelief and various other emotions evident in their depths.

A pink tongue poked out of the god's mouth and reversed the path of the mystical tears. Kurohi blinked at this odd behavior as he felt the warm, wet object glide gently against his already moist flesh. Isn't one who was engaged to someone else supposed to keep their hands off of all but their betrothed?

He sighed in conscious contentment that someone would care to comfort him when he cried, and the eye closest to the tongue closed. However, he spoke a different tune from contentment. "Though I don't care what the hell Botan thinks, you'd better get away from me before you get in trouble. You are, after all, bound to the oar-rider. But, just do me one thing, please..."

"Nan desu ka?" asked that male elegance.

"Think over your decision with Botan. Is she really the right one? Because the one I love stands before me, and, to tell the truth, I'd do anything for you. After all, I didn't care that my stomach got punished when I spent all my money for you at the carnival, and I had nothing to eat for a whole week because it went against my honor code to steal or kill for food. I only kill to live another day; not because I'm starving," the tailed boy reasoned.

"A whole week?" he seemed amazed.

"Yeah. Just because I have a long life doesn't mean I'm eternal." He chuckled. "But I had a great time there. Making you happy was my new hobby." He said this with a bittersweet smile. "Your happiness matters more to me than my own life. That's why I was so willing to spend all that ningen money." A small frown tugged at his features and he closed his eyes. "Now, please, let me go!"

Reluctantly, Koenma released his loving embrace. Kurohi approached the doorway, stopped, and turned around to the god. He regarded the brown-haired endless with a mixed stare. On the ground, forgotten, slowly pulsed several hirui-seki stones in their red-violet light.

The boy turned around, and left. He paused a few times, but never looked back.

So much for sleeping inside.

He flitted out into the stormy night; the wind had picked up, as the rain, but the youth didn't care.

No use staying where you weren't welcome.

"KU--RO----HI---------!"

That desperate cry of his name stopped him cold. He wants me back?

The god ran outside and looked up at the tree the boy stood on. His robes were blown to one side by the ferocious wind. Kurohi's brown mane was a mess of wet tendrils instead of soft, dry spikes. The only thing that fully gave away his position was the brilliant, quick flashing of the orb around his neck.

The boy panted again, but this time not out of pain in his body. It was his mind that hurt - his emotions; not his body. "WHY THE HELL DO YOU WANT ME BACK! GO CUDDLE WITH BOTAN FOR ALL I CARE!"

"Get back in here, please! The wind and rain makes tonight in this realm cold! I don't want you to get sick!"

"I DON'T CARE!" He laughed softly, but it went unheard. "How can I not care...?" he uttered softly. He closed his eyes, and tiredly opened them again.

Koenma frowned. Kurohi...

Said boy flitted into the night.

Inside her room, the oar-rider flipped through a few death records.

All Dragon-type demons from long, long ago were accounted for here...

Except one.

End Day 6

Started 3/29/03, 3:52PM, Finished 3/29/03, 9:51PM

Revisions: 10/11/03, 6/4/03


	11. Day 7 I'm Gonna WHAT!

10 Years of Waiting

by Kurohi Tatsaki

Day 7 - I'M GONNA WHAT…!

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH, never will, but I own Kurohi, as y'all should know by now.

"speaking" thinking noise POV change beginning/ending of dreams flashback beginning/endings /Telepathic speech/ passing of time /strange voice/

Hey, about that lemon chapter, it IS called a lemon for its "racyness" right! Oh, and to clear things up with my 'kaasan, Lemons ARE racy! I don't do limes as well! So there! Not only that, they didn't ASK me to post it! I FELT like it! Hmph!

"If he dies, we all die?" Urameshi Yusuke

An object near the man's head made a shrill noise. The black-haired male groaned and snatched it from the nightstand. Groggily, he flipped open the communicator and was treated to the toddler's also fatigued face. The oar-rider was beside him.

"Wha' is it now, Koenma? Y'need someone to change your diaper?" greeted Yusuke, yawning widely.

"A demon has been sighted in the Ningenkai fifteen minutes ago. I want you to take Kurohi with you and have a look."

"What, now you want me to take the kid?"

"You'll understand why soon enough."

"That's right!" chimed Botan. "You know that forest we went through so long ago when we were rescuing Yukina-chan?"

"What, Tarukane's old place?" asked the man sleepily.

"Yes! The demon is there! Now take Kurohi and GO!"

She hung up.

Yusuke frowned. Well, isn't Botan bein' the bitch this morning...? And I've just been married to Keiko-chan four days ago... I hate my job at times... The brown-eyed ex-delinquent slid out of bed and fished around in his dresser. He found a white shirt and a pair of jeans. He changed quickly, and met Keiko's concerned and curious brown gaze just as he was pulling on his shoes.

"Another case? You haven't had one in a long time. Why now?"

"Dunno. Koenma and Botan just told me to head over to Tarukane's old forest and bring Kurohi with me. She didn't tell me to drag Kuwabara, Hiei or Kurama into this. I'm guessing it isn't very serious."

"Oh... well, bring your cell phone and call if you need help, okay?"

"Okay," he said dubiously, snatching it from the top of the low dresser. "but it just might get crushed if I'm fighting a demon or whatever that specializes in wrestling or crushing."

"Don't worry about it. I can always convince someone to buy you a new one."

"Sure, but something really bothers me..."

"What?"

"Why ask Kurohi to come with me and no one else...?"

The doorbell rang, and Yusuke dashed to answer it. "Well, if isn't it our new Reikai Tantei, Kurohi!"

"Hmph. Let's go," he said dully. He, too, looked like he really, really needed rest. His eyes were red, too.

"Something wrong?"

"Nan da," he muttered, shaking his head.

Yusuke shrugged and followed the boy out the door. "Oh, okay, then..."

The bus lurched often under the boy's feet. His partner flitted atop the buildings to keep up. Damn it... Thing's've gotten worse around here... thought the ex-delinquent as the bus suddenly veered to one side before righting itself again. Stupid driver...

His partner's mind was a mere blank. Sitting in the rising sun had dried his clothes and also given him a small tan this morning. He was still pale, though. He kept on replaying the events of last night in his head. He had promised himself to protect the god from harm, from a distance.

It would be better this way.

The thought made his chest ache once more, and for a moment, his hand flew up and fisted into his shirt, right over his heart.

He focused on the bus and where he was going. He wouldn't be deterred any longer. There was a demon that needed investigating and he needed to hurry. Flitting ahead of the lumbering vehicle, he sprinted to the demon's location. Before he knew it, after flitting through miles of trees, he came to a dead stop.

Standing before him was a winged demon. His violet eyes were on the innocent side, and two horns poked out from the sides of his head, elegantly curving backward to meet the front of his face. His short, silver hair was tied in a loose rattail while the wayward strands poked around. He carried a huge sword across one shoulder and several silver feathers were stuck in his hair.

"Who are you?"

"Yamiryuinu." He said fluidly. "A Dino Youkai, which evolved directly from the Dragon Youkai. We look like old-age Dragon Youkai, but we are not," he said, smiling.

"Why are you here? If I may ask," murmured the boy, hand near the hilt of his deadly blade.

"You may. I am seeking the last Dragon Youkai."

"Why?" asked Kurohi. He wanted to unsheathe his katana, but suppressed the urge.

That sword that boy carried was HUGE! (A/N: Think Cloud Strife's Buster Sword) It was long and a pale blue with white. Cracks in the material looked like veins, and a silver stone dangled at the end of the handle.

"Save him from doom, is all," the Youkai simply replied.

The brown-haired boy was taken aback. "D-doom? I'm perfectly fine!" the Dragon Youkai stuttered.

Violet eyes grew wide. "You're whom I seek?"

He nodded. "Hai." His tail twitched against the ground.

The Dino Youkai sniffed the air. "You smell like a hybrid."

"That is what I am," came the slow reply.

"Found your love yet, then?" eagerly asked the Dino Youkai, serpentine tail lashing left and right. His grin didn't fade.

"Yes," The Dino Youkai brightened, if that was even possible. "but he doesn't love me."

Confusion and dismay replaced his happy expression. "He?"

"Yeah. So?"

"Kurohi! Is this the guy?" yelled Yusuke, running up to catch with the nimble hybrid. The blue-eyed boy nodded.

"Yes. He claims to want to rescue me from death."

"And a fast one at that! At this rate you'll be dead in three weeks!" he yelled at the other demon.

"T-t-t-t-t-three w-w-weeks!" He couldn't breathe. He fainted, crashing on his back in the grass and weeds.

Yusuke gazed at the non-fainted Youkai. "Something I missed?"

"I'll explain. Sit, please."

The matured male sat down cross-legged in the grass. The Youkai before him sat on a rock just in front of him, a safe distance away. With one hand, he rammed his large sword into the ground and leaned against the tree behind him.

"Kurohi is a Dragon Youkai. The last," began the Dino Yokai. "He is of an ancient race who's love-lives refer to their death. No love at all results in a normal lifespan of a couple millennia. Unrequited love results in a below-average span, and what you humans call 'True Love', results in an eternity of existence." At this, he smiled slightly. This was the precise reason why Shirokoori, the dark Dino Youkai was so pissed and determined to kill the heir of...

"He could live forever, then?" asked the black-haired boy, unintentionally cutting off the other boy's thoughts.

He had been in so much of a rush his hadn't slicked back his dark hair.

The well muscled, dragon-winged boy nodded once. The wings were brown, but the leathery flesh between the bones was dark crimson. "Their age would be unaffected. If Kurohi were to have requited love, and love the one of his affections, anyone associated in a positive way with him would live as long as he."

"So, the positive effect is better than the negative, right? If he dies, we all die?" Yusuke was afraid the answer would be "yes".

"If he dies, his race is extinct," he replied coldly. "Anyone associated with him will be unaffected. But, you see, if he doesn't find a female partner, you can say goodbye to the remaining Dragon Demons if his love is still unrequited. Whether male or female."

Kurohi stirred on his back in the grass, but didn't wake. His tail flicked once, perhaps in instinct from some strange dream.

Either way, that trip into unconsciousness should help him, mused Yusuke.

"I'll keep an eye on the boy. You go ahead and report back to your boss."

"How do you know I was under orders!"

"My father has ties with Koenma-sama, but directly, I do not. Understand? Oh, and go ahead and tell Koenma-sama that my father's title is Ryu Youkai Mikado Teupo-sama." 1

It just makes no sense! he thought. Kurohi'll die before his time and what the hell am I gonna do about it! I don't know what to do! Who does he love anyway! I'll murder the one who'd hurt him! He stormed into Koenma's Office and said, "That demon you sent us to investigate is son of Ryu Youkai Mikado Teupo-sama!"

The toddler dropped his stamper. "WHAT!" He slammed his tiny hands against the smooth surface of his desk. He leaned forward and Yusuke approached, hands clenched into fists by his sides.

"Yeah," replied Urameshi. His fists tightened until the knuckles when white. "His name is Yamiryuinu. He says that Kurohi might die in three weeks unless 'his love is requited'. I have no idea who he likes but apparently, it's a guy."

His boss was silent. This was his fault, wasn't it!

Damn it...

Botan feigned concern. "Oh, how terrible! Kurohi'll die? Damn it." I hope he DOES die! Then, I won't have to worry about Koenma-chan going out or falling in love with the wrong people!

"That's right 'damn it'! If we don't help, you'll know what'll happen! Also, I hate to sound cold or anything like that, but you know his abilities! We'd also be losing an asset, and don't forget... he's Kurama and Hiei's friend, and I've seen his speed. He's amazing; a large pity upon who'd hate him." With that, Yusuke left, slamming the door.

Koenma winced. Botan massaged her fiancé's small shoulders, supposedly unaffected. "Thing's'll be okay. Don't worry, koi." (A/N: gags)

"I don't think they will be, this time," murmured Koenma, clenching his

"Then do something! Set him up with someone other than you!"

Koenma frowned. "He told me he loved me, Botan. He asked me to question which one I really loved, but I'm not so sure. That's why I don't think thing's'll be okay this time around..." The old toddler groaned and bit his pacifier.

Botan frowned. So, the boy was STILL after HER Koenma, huh? She'd have to convince the twerp otherwise. Of course, it WOULD result in his death, but, ah, it was worth that.

After all, what's one more Dragon Youkai in the afterlife?

Kurohi awoke in a soft bed. His head pounded like hell and he ached everywhere else. In his pain, he clutched the sheets he laid upon, but doing so didn't quell the low agony. He sat up and gasped. Wait, he was going to die?

No, it couldn't happen! He was well and alive! His heart, no matter how inhuman, beat with the will and power of life! How could he DIE!

He didn't WANT to die!

...but this ache in his heart...

He opened his blue eyes and looked around. It looked like a rich-boy's bedroom. A chord in him struck that this place was vaguely familiar, but he knew not from where. He closed his eyes to see if he could recall it, but it was as if all his memories of the past were locked away and enshrouded in fog to boot.

He felt something missing after a moment or two; he peeked under the sheets and abruptly shut them, blushing furiously. After a moment, someone entered the room and he yelled, "WHERE THE HELL ARE MY FUCKIN' CLOTHES! IZZIS SOME KINDA JOKE!"

The boy was taken aback. It was the boy that told him he was gonna die. This time, he wore a loose, blue and white kimono. His rattail was down. "U-um, I brought you here for your own good."

"My own good!" he shrieked. "I've lived okay on my own for as long as I can remember!"

"Oh? How far back is that?"

The last Dragon Youkai paused. How far DID his memories go? He knew he couldn't remember much at all past his first meeting with Koenma... besides the fact he went to Ningenkai first.

"I see," replied the creature, interrupting his thoughts. "Tell me, do you remember anything before coming to the Ningenkai?"

He paused again, then slowly shook his head. He clutched it in pain. "No..." he moaned.

"Okay. Memory-unlocking is an easy task for me, but very, very hard on you. You think you're up to it?"

A challenge? "How long will it take?" he asked, looking past his hands.

"Not too long. But it'll give you one hellava migraine."

I don't care. Koenma doesn't love me anymore, so what's so bad about dying? "Pain in my head ain't rare. I have nothing to lose. It might kill me?"

"If you're not strong enough."

"I'm tough!" he said, to keep up the charade that he was well both physically and mentally.

"All right, then. I have two methods. We can go ahead and I can use my powers directly, very hard on you, or we can do something to quell the pain in your head by means of... distraction, and have it be a bit less painful."

"No WAY I'm havin' sex with you!" he retorted sharply. "You sure as hell AIN'T gonna be my first!"

"Does that have a double meaning?" he asked slyly in his child-like tone. He raised an eyebrow.

"N-no... I mean, I... haven't..." he seemed sheepish. He blushed furiously and looked away. "...done it... before..." (A/N: After all, he didn't like the women, and didn't like any of the men he came across! Of course he's gonna be a virgin!) "...Even... WITH my Youko blood..."

"Now THAT'S strange..." the demon prince murmured.

"What is?"

"People of Youko, usually wild ones, sleep with just about anyone," said he offhandedly.

"I may be wild, but I'm not FULL Youko!"

Yamiryuinu strode over and sat on the bed beside him. "Of course. I could smell that you're not full-blood Youko, fire demon, or really, anything."

The boy frowned. "Look, can ya give me my memories back or not!"

"You might wanna lie down."

"I WON'T LET YOU FUCK ME, DAMN IT!" Kurohi insisted.

"I'm not going to," he replied. "If you're flat on the bed, you won't have to waste energy sitting up."

Kurohi cautiously did as told. "First of all, where am I?"

"My room," he replied simply. "Now close your eyes and relax. Pain won't come until after, but you'll need your strength so you can overcome it."

With that, Kurohi felt like a wind was pulling his spirit out of his body.

Everything became dark.

End Day 7

1 At times, the Dino Youkai refer themselves as Dragon (Ryu) Youkai because of their heritage. They are a proud race and most have very complex honor code rules.

Started 3/30, 2:30PM, Finished 3/31/03, 5:52PM Revisions: 10/11/03 & 10/12/03


	12. Day 8a Omoide no Ketsueki

10 Years of Waiting  
  
by Kurohi Tatsaki  
  
Day 8a - Omoide no Ketsueki  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own YYH, & never will, but I own Kurohi & Yamiryuinu, as y'all should know by now. Oh, and in one of the last chapters, Kurohi living forever with his friends was my best friend's idea! Arigatou~~!! Oh, and it's also a trait for a different species in a different fanfic she & I are doing together, but the pairings are still in question. So far, there is KuramaXHiei (or reverse) OC(Name: Azura)/??? OC(Name: Angel)/??? Botan/Koenma(?) Yusuke/Keiko, and a few others. 'scalled, "Dark Roads, Darker Memories." 1st chapter still in-progress due to the fact we live a city apart an' can only talk on the phone & can only visit on weekends!  
  
"speaking" [thinking] {noise} ~~~~~~ POV change ****** beginning/ending of dreams ********* flashback beginning/endings //Telepathic speech// *** passing of time /strange voice/  
  
I HATE school! It keeps me from updating! Fortunately, if I keep finishing my CSAPs and continue to get there on time, I'll be able to work on this fic Friday! Yaaaaay! ^O^ Can't'cha tell I'm hy----per?! The only bad thing is, that I gotta get my shot then in the morning. (I'm 3 years overboard for my Tetanus... grrr... me hate needles *shudders*) Anyway, this chapter is kinda weird. Sorry, I couldn't find any lyrics that would work... Damn.  
  
This chapter is subject to change later once I have time. I figured you loyal fans of mine had waited long enough.  
  
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"Now I understand why you say technique no good on smart guy!" Baldak  
  
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[So, he's going to die... I can't wait to put my plan into action, ridding myself of that pesky fly once and for all.]  
  
"I'm postponing our marriage until next month."  
  
"WHAT?! But Koenma-chan, you *can't* do that!"  
  
"I can, and I will." He looked serious, despite his toddler form. [I need to figure a few things out before I do something I could regret later.] "If you really love me, Botan-chan, have a lover's patience, all right?"  
  
"But I HAVE been waiting!!" she shrieked.  
  
"Well, there's no harm letting you wait longer," he retorted, stamping a few more papers rather forcefully. [I hope he's all right...]  
  
***  
  
"So, Baldak! How are ya? Where ya been?"  
  
"Baldak's been good Kurohi-san!" replied the prehistoric demon. He hung from a high tree branch, wings folded across his gray body. He descended and landed on the ground in front of his best friend. "Baldak just went for prey a bit ago."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Baldak lost prey again." He seemed upset. Kurohi laid one hide-gloved hand onto the demon's shoulder in sympathy.  
  
"I can show you technique that lets takes hunt-ee by surprise." In truth, he was much smarter than to use simple language. He knew a lot, but he knew he had to speak with smaller words so his demon friend would understand him.  
  
"Ah? Show Baldak! Show Baldak!!"  
  
The brown-haired dragon demon spread his arms. He flapped them for emphasis. "Have wings, right? Fly?"  
  
He nodded his gray head and pushed a few strands of lighter gray hair out of his eyes.  
  
"When jump off tree, spread wings. Glide around prey and strike while back is turned. Not honorable fight, but good use. Not good against intelligent prey when repeated." [Like myself.]  
  
"How know this work?"  
  
"I fight on ground, yes?"  
  
The pointy-eared demon nodded and perched on the tree again. A few dinosaurs munched on grass and trees a long distance behind him.  
  
"I attack prey from behind. It die if strike hits weak point, yes?" he asked, gesturing against his own heart and throat with one hand.  
  
Baldak nodded. "Yes! Prey die!"  
  
"So, if attack quietly from air..." He jumped into the air and pretended to descend. "strike weak point..." He slashed one clawed hand in the air as if to cut a beast's throat. "and prey die, yes?!"  
  
"Yes! Yes! Thanks, Kurohi-san! You very smart!"  
  
"I tell you what I am. I Ryu Youkai."  
  
"Ah. So that what you mean 'honor'. You very 'honor' race, yes? Tell Baldak more?"  
  
Kurohi sat down. "I tell you secret. Big secret. I up next to rule my people, but I have competition. My brother, Ryu Youkai Oji Shirokoori-sama. I Ryu Youkai Oji Kurohi-sama. Shirokoori-sama want my rank. I want my rank. He not fit for rank!" He closed one clawed fist in the air. "But, I no have parts of rank. I supposed to have tail. I supposed to have horns and wings. I supposed to fly, but I no have any."  
  
(A/N: Translation: I'll tell you a big secret. I am up next to rule my people, but I also have someone else going for the same thing. My brother is Ryu Youkai Oji Shirokoori-sama, and I am Ryu Youkai Oji Kurohi-sama. My brother wants my rank, but so do I. However, he is not fit to be the ruler. But I am different. I don't have what I should. I'm supposed to have a tail, horns and wings so I can fly, but I have none.)  
  
"You high rank, but no have high rank stuffs?"  
  
(A/N: Translation: You're of high rank but you don't have what people of your rank have?)  
  
Kurohi nodded and stood up, eyes seemingly a bit more gray than blue. "That why I no like much."  
  
(A/N: Translation: That's why I'm not liked much.)  
  
"Baldak sorry," his friend replied, bowing his head.  
  
"Why?" His blue eyes burned into his friend's without him knowing.  
  
"Baldak have wings. Baldak fly. Kurohi no have wings, so no can fly." He snapped a claw. "Baldak know! Kurohi hop on back of Baldak! Kurohi fly!"  
  
"You do that?"  
  
The demon before him hopped on the ground again. "Yes! Yes! Baldak do! Baldak do! All can give for prey-catch method!" The demon smiled.  
  
The brown-haired boy climbed on Baldak's thin back, and he flapped his wings. They rose into the air, and the Ryu prince was happily laughing for once.  
  
"So... this what like to fly! This what like to be one with blue sky! Fly! Fly! Fly!!" He was almost jumping up and down. He looked down at his friend. "Friend for life, Baldak?"  
  
"Until dead!"  
  
"No! Past dead! Beyond dead! Friend forever!"  
  
"Forever... there forever?"  
  
(A/N: Translation: Forever... there is such a thing as forever?)  
  
"Yes! Forever! Forever, forever, forever, forever ever!!" He liked Baldak. Very much. Not because he could fly, but because he was the only one ever nice to him.  
  
Yes... friendship... was nice.  
  
Everything went dark for Kurohi. He looked around, now on his knees in the void. [I can move myself now...]  
  
"Yamiryuinu! What's going on?!" he called.  
  
"It's... getting difficult to bring up memories."  
  
This scared him a little. He stood up. "Now?! Why now, of all times?!"  
  
Silence.  
  
"Yamiryuinu!!" he yelled. No one answered him. He sat down against the cold "ground" of the dark void. He heard a soft rushing sound. Almost like water. He turned his head to the source, and saw a stream. Touching it gingerly for a second, he brought his fingertips away and came away with dripping red. He stiffened. "What the hell...? A river of... blood?" he whispered. "Yamiryuinu! Baldak!! Any of you! Can anyone hear me?!" Silence. Then he screamed, "GET ME THE HELL OUTTA HERE!!" Tears formed in his eyes; he hastily wiped them away. When his vision cleared, he saw the two men in white coats.  
  
He saw himself again, and then...  
  
He was that other self. His thin arms flexed but stopped as the bite of the needle shifted in his veins. Kurohi held still. He felt groggy, as if he had just awoken. His spine hurt. A lot.  
  
He felt angry. He had none of his skins tied around his now naked form.  
  
Where was he?  
  
This odd man would pay once he got out! "What you doing to me?!! You tell me nothing! You do something! What you do?!! Ge-aahhh!!" His spine elongated and fur covered the new appendage.  
  
So... a tail now, huh? So that's how...  
  
"LET ME THE FUCK OUT, YOU BASTARDS!!" He pounded the glass, new tail lashing with him...  
  
It broke into pieces. He looked at his fist. He had never been so strong... Flitting over with speed he never possessed before, he gripped the mean man's neck, and crushed it easily. He fell over in a heap, and he looked to the kind man with a wild gaze. He removed the wires and needles from his arms and hands.  
  
He closed his eyes, and reopened them once the storm had calmed. "You... never hurt me. I won't... ki-ll you..."  
  
"You won't? You heard me speaking; you can speak coherently, too?"  
  
"Yes. I won't kill you. I heard every word." His eyes grinned warmly, though his mouth didn't go anywhere. "I can't kill you. You're the only one of two that would never hurt me, right?"  
  
"If you believe that to be so, yes."  
  
He nodded. "I do." He opened his mouth to speak again, but then, the man disappeared. "Wait! I don't know your name!!" He appeared again, bloodied and hurt. "What the hell happened?"  
  
"Run... They've come for you..."  
  
Blood on the walls... Blood on the ground... on his *hands*... All over...  
  
"No! I can't leave you!! Never leave you!" he cried, kneeling beside the man.  
  
"Just... GO!!" The boy ran got up and ran. No one caught up.  
  
He had left that kind man for dead.  
  
He was sorry.  
  
He shed a tear, and left the ruin behind.  
  
Kurohi learned that it was now in the nineteen-nineties. He would never see Baldak again. Then again, Baldak was a tough friend. Time alone could never kill him.  
  
And it didn't.  
  
He saw him in a forest. The area still smelled strongly of him.  
  
"Bal----dak!!" he called, using his old grunting tone. "Baldak! It's me! Kurohi!! Ryu Youkai Oji Kurohi-sama~!!"  
  
"Kurohi! Kurohi's back?!!" He limply flew over and landed.  
  
"Baldak!" he chirped. His happy face faded as he saw the damage upon his friend. "Your wings..." he murmured.  
  
"Stupid mortal cut them up with his fists! Baldak draped over the branch like hide!!"  
  
"How horrible... Here, let me help!" Using ki, he regenerated his friend's wings. They flapped powerfully.  
  
"Now I understand why you say technique no good on smart guy! Get beat up!"  
  
He chuckled. "Glad you learned." [Glad you still remember me.]  
  
"You talk different. You look different, but still the same."  
  
He looked at himself best he could. "You have, too. You speak a bit more fluently. I saw a stream nearby. I'll look there. Want to come, Baldak?"  
  
He nodded, and together, they marched to a stream. Kurohi peered over the edge into the calmer waters, and he reeled back in shock, but nevertheless, looked again. He now had a silver "star-burst" of hair near his bangs. His once dark hair was now of a lighter shade with red highlights. He had an orange tail with black stripes that lashed left and right, but had the grip of a monkey.  
  
His claws were gone. He still had no wings, but...  
  
"Kurohi! On back! I see black mark! That bruise?"  
  
Tugging off his blue tank top, revealed a black mark, but it was no bruise.  
  
It was a tattoo. As if noticing him, it cooled his feverish skin with a gentle caress.  
  
Wait, he hadn't been this hot during this time.  
  
Everything faded out again.  
  
"Yamiryuinu? What's going on with you? Are these memories corrupted?" he asked, panting. The heat...  
  
"Not corrupted. Just... faded."  
  
An unseen wind blew, and he came to with a hard headache. He groaned loudly and forced the pillow harshly against his head. "'Ryuinu?"  
  
"You're awake! I'm sorry about what happened-"  
  
"SHUT UP! YOU'RE MAKING MY HEAD **HURT WORSE**!!!" he screamed. He felt tears in his eyes, it hurt so bad.  
  
"Gomen nasai," he replied quietly.  
  
After a few moments of thrashing, he murmured, "Let me see him, can you bring him here?" Kurohi asked quietly. "I need to see him again... please..."  
  
"Not yet. I have one more thing for you to go see."  
  
"Wha.."  
  
Again, he was basked in darkness.  
  
[No, no, no... I... my head... please stop this... 'Ryuinu...!]  
  
Then, he saw Botan. He suddenly had the urge to burn her alive despite his fading pain. (A/N: Roasty bubbles!) He saw Koenma, and heard him say, "I'm postponing our marriage until next month."  
  
"WHAT?! But Koenma-chan, you can't do that!"  
  
"I can, and I will." He looked serious, despite his toddler form. "If you really love me, Botan-chan, have a lover's patience, all right?"  
  
Kurohi wanted to wring that "-chan" dry and use it on Koenma for the rest of eternity.  
  
"But I HAVE been waiting!!"  
  
"Well, there's no harm letting you wait longer," he retorted, stamping a few more papers rather forcefully. He looked bothered.  
  
Realizing he was transparent, he figured there would be no harm in doing anything. He drifted over and wrapped his arms about the toddler's tense shoulders.  
  
He seemed to relax, and Kurohi nuzzled his face against the ruler's neck, sighing softly. "Koenma-chan..." He waved his hand in front of the ruler's face, but there was no reaction... save the fact he felt him stiffen. Smirking evilly, he drifted over to Botan, and set a hand on her kimono. He heated up his hand until a small fire was set. She screeched like an angry Siren once she noticed and stomped her foot on the bottom of her pink robes to try and put the fire out.  
  
Kurohi and Koenma laughed. Koenma then grabbed his pitcher of water, turned into his teen form in the motion, and let it gush on both HER and her robes. The girl yelped and shivered. "Koenma~!! That wasn't fully necessary!"  
  
The brown-haired teen shrugged. "You were on fire. I had no choice."  
  
"BAKA! Someone's IN here!"  
  
"Yeah. You," he replied with a grin.  
  
"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT, BAKAYARO!"  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"A wandering spirit's here! There he -- Kurohi?!!" She pointed at him, and in shock, fell on her ass. Koenma looked in the direction of the finger. His gold eyes widened and watered slightly. Kurohi saw this and spoke.  
  
"Koenma-chan! I'm NOT dead, all right?!!" His mouth moved, but he went unheard by the god. He didn't realize this. "Yamiryuinu just showed me all of this! I'm gonna come back to you! All right?!!" His eyes glossed as he said this, but he smiled reassuringly.  
  
"B-Botan... I gotta... go... Could you finish these papers for me?! Thanks!!" He dashed out the door.  
  
Botan smirked at Kurohi. "He couldn't hear you."  
  
This pissed him off. "Then how can you...?!!"  
  
"I'm supposed to," she replied, placing one slender hand on a wide hip.  
  
"Tell him, then! Tell him I'm alive!" he shouted.  
  
"Are you sure about that?"  
  
He paused. "N..nan da do...?"  
  
"Yes. You're dead. Otherwise, you wouldn't be like this. Now let me cross you over."  
  
He panicked. "NO! I mustn't've died! How can I be dead?! I withstood that pain in my mind caused by the forcing of my memories to surface!" He clutched his fists about four inches away from his chest.  
  
His necklace pulsated furiously.  
  
"It must have been a very... harsh spell. He wanted to kill you."  
  
"He wanted to SAVE me!" he insisted. Kurohi then had the gall to add, "Now shut the fuck up, you stuck-up, prissy, attention-hogging, ugly, good-for- nothing bitch!!!! Oh, wait, you're uninterested in men, so you wouldn't wanna fuck me. I wouldn't wanna fuck you, anyway. So why don't you ram that godforsaken **SPOON** up your ******ASS******?! [1] Later, ugly!"  
  
With that, he retreated, Botan fuming at his back.  
  
End Day 8's Afternoon  
  
-------------------------------------------  
  
[1] His second to last sentence is courtesy of Kohaku Frost! My best friend alongside few!! ^_^ Leos come up with nice ideas, don't you agree?  
  
omoide = memories  
  
no = of (but you knew that one, right? It actually has many other meanings like that.)  
  
ketsueki = blood  
  
Mom postponed my tetanus cuz of CSAP! Gotta luv her!  
  
Started 4/17/03, 4:18PM; Finished 4/2/03, 6:17PM  
  
Revisions: 10/12/03 


	13. Day 8b Yorokobi no aru Ryu

10 Years of Waiting

by Kurohi Tatsaki

Day 8b - Yorokobi no Aru Ryu

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH, & never will, but I own Kurohi & Yamiryuinu, as y'all should know by now. Oh, and I don't own Baldak, either. For those who don't know him, he's the flying demon from long ago in, as Yusuke calls it, "Grandma's Forest" during the timed run through the woods when he eventually gets Genkai's powers. Baldak then flies around, using a pattern, which Kurohi told him NOT to do, and he was beaten!

"speaking" thinking noise POV change beginning/ending of dreams flashback beginning/endings /Telepathic speech/ passing of time /strange voice/

"Are you going to act like a horny fox all day?" Koenma

Kurohi reappeared at his body. He had gotten there a bit later than Koenma had.

He was crying.

His god, his love, was crying.

It made him wanna cry, too. The blue-eyed one floated toward the Dino Youkai and waved a hand. "What the fuck's goin' on! Why am I dead!"

Violet eyes radiating sadness looked up at him. "I failed the spell... I accidentally severed your spirit from your body... You have no way of returning... Gomen nasai..."

"LIKE FUCK YOU ARE! FIX IT, DAMN IT!"

"If only it were so simple, my friend."

"Yamiryuinu-sama, whom are you speaking to?"

"Kurohi's spirit," he sighed. "He's furious at me for failing my duty."

"DAMN RIGHT I AM! LET ME BACK IN MY OWN BODY RIGHT NOW!"

The silver-haired one relayed this to the god, trying his hardest to imitate the emotions flowing through the words. Koenma looked to the spirit sadly, then looked to his still body. The pendant pulsed slowly, but was never deterred.

So, my body's not dead... That's a plus, at least... Kurohi floated down onto the god and rested a hand on his shoulder. He leaned against his shoulder, careful not to fall through. He started speaking, and the Dino Youkai began to relay it.

"Just when I think I've figured you out, more questions occur with your every action. Look, I may be 'dead' now, but my body is still alive. You can sort of 'see' my heart beating, right? Even I'm not blind, so don't think I'm dead.

"Well, there's one memory I'll never forget," he began, trying to cheer him up with his story. "I was with a friend. It was a night like this, cool yet darker than night itself. My friend's name... I now remember, was Angel. She was a beautiful one, for a female. Blond hair and odd eyes. They took in everything and then spewed it out just to take it all back.

"At that time, I was alone. I was wandering. This was a few weeks before you all, including Mukuro, found me, and I got stuck in this mess.

"Anyway, I had wanted a challenge. One that would be so insane, it would kill me. So I found her near this huge estate. Greenery flourished alongside it like a faithful companion. Actually, in a sense, it all was. It all responded to her. She was a part of it. It was a part of her.

"I asked her to fight me. When she won, I inquired her to kill me. Kami, I wanted to die so badly... I was a wreck...

"She refused. She told me, that if I ever needed help, to come to her, but right now, I had needed to sort my confused mind out. If things didn't shape up, to come back.

"I never did. Never had to. I put concentrating on my memories aside, and decided to exist. Yes, not live, really. But exist. Y'know, eat, sleep, whatever. Just, never make a ripple in fate, destiny or whatnot. Never change. Never find anything.

"Then I met Hiei. He arrested me." He paused to chuckle. "He brought me to Mukuro, and she then told him to train me. He and I both agreed. I didn't want to die. He didn't want to kill me, so it all worked out.

"And then... I met you. My world went upside-down and twisted.

"And I loved every moment.

"But, please, I wanna be by your side! I wanna be me! I don't wanna be a ghost anymore! Please, Koenma, let me come back!"

"You... are asking me to let you come back?" He looked at the ghost beside him. His pale fingers touched the poltergeist's, and they easily passed through like air.

However, the ghost understood the meaning and nodded once. "Let me come back. My being gone only makes you sad. I can't bear to see you cry! Please let me come back!"

"How?"

He approached his body and knelt down on the bed beside it.

So... that's how he looked. He looked like a child while in "slumber". His rounded, but young, teen face. Long lashes, and parts of the tattoo were seen on his bare shoulders and where the blanket didn't cover up his chest. He touched his own flesh arm. His transparent body shook with fear and sadness.

But... how do I get back?

Then it hit him. If love gave him eternal life, couldn't love restore it?

"Koenma?"

Yamiryuinu repeated the word. The man in question blinked once in reply.

"This may sound strange, but... kiss me. No, not my spirit. My body. Maybe..." he turned to his descendant. "Yamiryuinu? Could you please leave us?"

The Dino Youkai nodded once. "Call me if you need me." He left, closing and locking the door behind him.

Koenma crawled onto the soft bed, half-laying down on it. Slowly, he brushed a few fingertips against that soft, porcelain face, and pressed his lips to the softer, warm ones.

Again, the wind blew...

And Kurohi, with a small headache, returned. Body feeling light, he responded to the kiss with a bit of tongue.

Koenma pulled back in shock. "K-Kurohi... You're..." His watery eyes gave away his loss for words.

He smiled almost widely. "...alive and loving it. Y'know," he purred. "I still prefer your taste. Needles definitely taste worse."

"Which taste?" he asked slyly.

"Now, now. I'd like to keep my mind out of the gutter, though I'd really like to know how you taste."

"Well?" Wanna taste me now?

"No. I'd rather save it for a honeymoon, thank you," he replied with a grin. "But... I can deal with this..." He sat up. "So, again, I ask you. Whom do you like better? Botan or-mmph!"

He shivered, arched up against the god and clutched the sheets as the kiss's effects tore through him. Purring softly, he returned the kiss as he had earlier. Their tongued danced and his mind felt like it was going on sensation overload. He felt so much emotion from how the god kissed him and held him he felt he never wanted to perish ever again. He felt a warm hand rest on the side of his face, tracing the sleek contours. The god pulled back. "Did that answer your question?"

Kurohi nodded slightly, mouth still slightly agape. It still tingled from the aftereffects of the kiss. He closed his eyes to compose himself. He opened them again, showing bright blue orbs instead of the darker shade they used to be. He hesitated sliding out of the bed for a moment, then shrugged and did so anyway. He fished around the room, trying to find his clothes. Where did the bastard put them!

He felt Koenma's gaze on his naked back. The tattoo cooled him down in the warm atmosphere, and it shimmered in the sunlight with a light sheen of sweat.

They were stacked amongst a few blue kimonos and he quickly threw on his jeans, and shirt. He looked around for his sword, and found it under the bed. He nuzzled the hilt affectionately.

"Ryuken..." was all he uttered.

"Are you going to act like a horny fox all day? You're forgetting we have to tell Botan."

He smartly ignored his first comment. YOU were the one acting horny! "Oh, and I hope you don't mind, I called her a 'stuck-up, prissy, attention-hogging, ugly, good-for-nothing bitch!' Then I turned around and said that she was, 'uninterested in men, so she wouldn't wanna fuck me.' Then I added, 'I wouldn't wanna fuck you, anyway. So why don't you ram that godforsaken SPOON up your ASS!'!"

Koenma laughed heartily. "Remind me... never... to make... you angry..." he said between chortles.

Kurohi grinned. "Hn. Like I would tell you off like that!" he replied sarcastically. "I'd NEVER say something like that to you."

The god smiled. "I know. If you don't mind, I'm going to revert."

"Not at all. Most of us already know how taxing it can be on you."

Toddler form came into view with a poof. He stood on the bed and fixed him with one of his cute stares. The duo-color-haired boy strapped his sword to his left hip. His tail swished in many directions. He sat on the bed. "If you like, I'll let you ride on my shoulders."

The god blushed. "Um, no, no, I can walk!"

Slight disappointment flicked through the blue gaze, but it left quickly. "As you wish." He stood up and grinned. "Let's go! I'm feelin' mighty damn good right now, so why don't we make Botan's life a hell she'll have to get used to!" he cried eagerly.

The pain in his body, he noted, was gone. Thinking about Koenma merely made his heart soar with joy. No more pain.

No more death.

"Koenma-sama! You're b... what the... Kurohi! I thought you were dead!"

Said boy frowned and stepped into better view. "Yes, and you were the one who wanted to send my spirit to the other-world! My body was still alive! You piss me off, y'know!" He cracked his knuckles. "Oh, and Koenma-chan, don't you have to tell something to Miss Botan?"

"Why did you trick me, Botan? Why did you convince me to love you, when I, deep down, loved Kurohi?"

"Something wrong with taking what's rightfully mine? Kurohi isn't even eternal!"

He stepped forward. "Wanna bet? Y'know, uncovering some of my memories by force actually had an upside." His body changed. Gray scales covered his body. His legs withered and he fell to the ground with a thud; his arms mutated into sharp wings.

Kurohi growled, and coiled his tail like a snake so he could sit up. It, too, had become that of a gray dragon's. (like a kawaii version of Breath of Fire 3's Tiamat dragon form)

"R-Ryu Youkai's true form...!"

Koenma grasped the dragon's tail with one hand, moving his thumb gently up and down its sleek length. The dragon purred and nuzzled Koenma's hat off by accident. The toddler pulled it back on, breaking the contact, and then nudged the dragon in a scale or two.

Violet eyes glowing, it conjured a temporary illusion, vanishing from sight. Kurohi stood, in his old demon form, before the ruler of Reikai and the ferry woman. He sat within the embrace of the dragon. "What do you think? In this illusion, I can show you what I used to look like." He cracked his claws again. "But that's besides the point. It's rather a simple thing. Koenma-chan loves me, I love him, so both he and I live for eternity, and do will Yusuke, Kuwabara, Keiko, Hiei, Kurama, Hikina, Kesumi, Atsuko, et cetera, et cetera... but you don't get this blessing. You hate me, hence, you hate Koenma-chan, and you hate the Reikai Tantei, which I am a part of, and everyone associated with them, as well!

"So move OVER Botan! You've lost! As far as I know, you've lost this race! So just SURRENDER!"

"What!"

The illusion vanished, and it was the dragon they saw. He growled, "You heard me. Find someone else. You'll find him... or her."

"Kurohi-chan?"

He powered down to demihuman form. "Nani?" he replied to his god.

"Paperwork is starting to pile up..." he pointed at all the files on his desk. They stretched half-way up to the ceiling. "Would you mind if I took care of it before it becomes too much of a problem?"

"Whatever you need to do," he replied softly, with a gentle smile. "go do it, koi. I can't stop you; I won't stop you."

"Arigatou!" He tugged Kurohi down by grasping a slender finger and embraced him. The blue-eyed one closed his eyes for a moment, his koi's scent drifting into his senses. The embrace was short-lived, and Koenma hopped to his desk, and began stamping again.

"I'll be in Ningenkai if you need me!"

"Okay!" came the distracted reply. Kurohi left in a displacement of air, and came to a halt in a field.

/You seem contented/ purred his dragon. Kurohi nodded once, but his mind was an almost blank.

He just listened to the serene song of the wind. The boy allowed his dragon form to take over, and he flew amongst the clouds, wings flapping soundlessly. One phrase continually played amongst the song in his mind:

"He loves me!"

End Day 8

yorokobi joy

aru a certain

ryu dragon

... I made a typo last chapter's starting date. It was sometime in late March. (duh!)

Started 4/3/03, Evening; Finished 4/4/03, 3:19PM


	14. Day 9 Flame But No Rain

10 Years of Waiting

by Kurohi Tatsaki

Day 9 - Flame but No Rain (lime)

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH, & never will. Kurohi & Yamiryuinu, Shirokoori, and all the other original characters I and Kohaku Frost come up with are property of Beware of Mage ltd. & Tsuki Ryu Productions. (Our company. We plan on building a site using Beware of Mage ltd. and Tsuki Ryu Productions.) There is a chapter like this but it has different lyrics, and it's a lemon (as of 4/6/03, the lemon is still in progress)

"speaking" thinking noise POV change beginning/ending of dreams flashback beginning/endings /Telepathic speech/ passing of time /strange voice/

HieiNimbus3007 - Yep! Got the zip fixed! Sorry for the delayed update, but wouldn't let me upload!

"We were shacked up at her estate for a few weeks." Kurohi

He couldn't describe himself to himself if his life depended on it.

Actually... he could if he really, really tried to organize the fragments.

First thing's first, he regained most of his memories, but died in the process due to someone who goofed up. Damn that Dino Youkai for scaring him half-past-death.

Second, he came back to life as soon as Koenma kissed him. Who woulda thought the answer was so cliché? Oh well. At least it worked wonders.

Third, Koenma loved him. Not as a friend, but as a lover.

Fourth, he had loved the god longer than the god realized he was in love with the dragon.

Emm... fifth, he realized he was a dragon demon in human form. Though, he knew he wasn't a human, and he knew he had dragon IN him. That fact was for certain.

It came to genetics... he was originally a pure creature lacking almost all the pure traits... no dragon tail, no wings, no horns...

Nothing...

It all came to those two who fiddled with his genes. They made him something different from what he originally was.

Something... grotesque?

He always was different. He was different at birth, and then the manipulation... seven years ago...

Demons had ransacked the laboratory.

They had been searching for him. They wanted him for their own purposes.

They wanted his power. They wanted anything to boost their gain.

But why would they want a creature that wasn't fully aware of his abilities at that time? One that had so much power to destroy so much...

Ooh, that thought brought about a small shiver.

He sat on the branch near Koenma's Office. True to his word - guard from a distance, but that would also close up.

Kurohi yawned widely and blinked until his sapphire eyes cleared again. He sure was tired. Shivering again, he drew his shirt tighter against his form as a light breeze skimmed across his pale flesh.

"Why don't you come inside, koi?"

He shivered again at the soft voice and nearly lost his footing on the branch. He leaned precariously on one foot more than the other. "Uh-uh...uh..." He blinked and gulped, eyes wide. "...!" He wobbled some, then slipped. "WAAAAAAAA-umph! Owww...!" He rubbed his face, especially his short nose. He stood up, one hand still on the wing of his nose, and chuckled. "I'm okay! I've had worse! Sure, I'll go inside. Why, you done?"

He nodded once and sighed wearily. "There was a lot of paperwork."

Kurohi yawned cutely and blinked.

"Also, there are a few things I'd like to know about you, if that's okay?"

He nodded once. He approached the toddler and crouched down in front of him. He closed his eyes a moment, then opened them. "I trust you... with my secrets, if that's what you mean." With that, he stood up, and went inside.

"Hmph. It's Kurohi," snorted Botan, holding a manual to her chest.

Said boy looked her way. "Look, if we're gonna be around each other for an eternity then we're gonna haveta get used to each other. I'm willing to get on civil terms in front of Koenma if you are. At any other time, we can say whatever the fuck we want to toward each other, assuming you know what I mean."

"Of COURSE I know! I'm NOT stupid!"

He chuckled. "Glad to hear it." He yawned again. "Osuminasai, Botan..." he murmured politely. He moved to leave, but turned around. "Oh, and, Botan?"

"Hn?"

"If you need any help, you know the legendary demoness with the name 'Angelique'?"

"Ah..." She released one of the arms holding the book and held her head by the jaw in her hand. "Koenma-chan told me the stories... but... what are you getting at?"

"I can bring you to her, if you like."

"You must be joking!"

"No joke. We were shacked up at her estate for a few weeks," he replied with a grin.

"WHAT!" He had a... a relationship with...

His grin grew wider as he saw her shocked expression. Of course, I never had sex with her... even if she WAS the only female I was ever aroused by. "Just give me the word and I'll take you there," he said cheerfully. "G'night!"

"Um, g'night..."

Kurohi went into the semi-hidden door to the left of Koenma's desk. He closed the large doors and shed his clothing, leaving them on the dresser nearest to the door. He crawled in the bed, folding his hands behind his head. The boy stared at the ceiling.

An eternity to do anything... Not only that, Yusuke-san... Kuwabara-kun... Yukina-chan... Hiei-sama... Kurama-san... everyone I like gets to stay as long as I do, and then, if I die, then their aging will continue as if it never stopped...

I wonder how Angel's doing? It's been a while since I last visited. Maybe I ought to visit tomorrow. If Botan wants to come, then, she can. After all, I never really hated her... until she tried to set Koenma and me apart.

So caught up in his musings, he didn't hear the door open, close, or hear the other figure in the room disrobe, change its body into something bigger, and crawl into bed with him. He gave a visible start when a warm hand touched his cool arm. He looked in the direction of the "intrusion."

"Oh, you finally came... I was just thinking," he softly greeted the god.

"You seem to think a lot. So, could you tell me..." As he trailed this sentence, Kurohi fixed his gaze back at the ceiling, if only for a moment or two. "...what you were thinking?"

"When?" was his reply.

"Just now."

"Oh, that. I was just thinking about my race's affects on other people, is all." That was the half-truth. He just didn't feel like letting him in on Angel just yet.

"What about it?"

"Just what I'm gonna do with you for eternity. I have to come up with many things. But, enough of that. You wanna know some of my secrets, then? Just pick a category: People, Memories, Fighting abilities, you name it."

"Any memories you haven't told me?"

"...Yes." He closed his eyes, then looked at his love. "Actually, yeah... there are a few I remember. One of them, is that I stayed at Angelque's estate for several weeks, coming and going as I pleased. Sometimes, I'd come back roughed up, and she'd treat my wounds. She's kinda like a mother to me than anyone else, but you NEVER wanna get on her bad side! I did that once and she shoved a boot up my ass. I couldn't walk straight for half a week!" He was grinning. "Though, I was kinda aroused by her, y'know... she was the only pretty girl I saw in my entire life, so I guess I'm a little bisexual... but..."

Koenma's liquid gold gaze had become thoughtful. A brief flicker of panic flashed through blue eyes and he continued, "But we never did anything! I would just come and go and unless the weather was bad, I slept outside! I had the couch, she had a bed some few rooms away during bad weather circumstances, and I never treaded into the hallways at night." He paused to gauge his koi's reaction. That gaze he didn't feel comfortable seeing didn't flicker and go away. He whispered, "And... I... I'd never ditch you for her... The only one I've ever loved..."

The gaze flickered up to meet sapphire blue eyes. He said nothing.

The shorter, brown-haired boy's stomach twisted once. He pouted a little. "Please speak!" Your gaze can be very hurtful... that look... He forced a grin. "Oi! But there was this one time, many, many millions of years ago, when I grabbed my brother by the back of his hide robe, and I flung him into the tar pit for sending the Inu Youkai after me! We are similar in appearance, as we have the... same... type of eye color..." Oh, god... His mouth went a little agape.

"Kurohi? What's wrong?"

"My brother... Ryu Youkai Oji Shirokoori-sama... our eyes are the same shade… not color wise... the shape is different... My hair is much lighter than his... One could say we are split personalities, he, my bad side, me, his good side... Oh, my, GOD... I'm... I-I... heh heh... Y'know..." He shook his head and laughed. "No WONDER I could hardly remember a thing! Watashi wa baka, shimatta onisan! DAMN him! He's trying to get the ranks that I was MEANT to have despite my not having what I should!" Damn, now I'm not tired...

"Don't think about that, now." He crawled on top of the other male. His lips grasped Kurohi's and a warm tongue went into the boy's mouth, playing with his own muscle. His hands roamed gently across my body and the blue-eyed one purred in contentment. The god pulled back and the tattooed boy took this opportunity to lean up and suck on his collarbone. He tasted of honey and his own unique flavor. Reveling on his soft moans, the boy sucked just a little more fiercely, but not enough to bruise.

He let go after a moment.

"Kurohi, go ahead and put that mouth of yours to use."

The male grinned, showing small fangs, and obeyed.

Koenma would be in for one hell of a ride, even if the boy WAS a beginner.

The god himself awoke to the small rays of sunlight. Spooned against him, lay an angelic-looking boy with soft brown spikes of hair, which held onto some silver near the top front of his head. His eyes were closed in a more relaxed position than it had been during their lovemaking. Long lashes accented his large eyes in an almost feminine manner.

A few bangs dangled against his eyelids and Koenma tenderly brushed them away.

He was cute.

Resting his hand on the side of his lover's face, the younger one sighed softly and nuzzled his face into that hand. He didn't wake.

At least, that's what Koenma thought.

"Mmm... Koenma-koi..."

"Hai?"

He nudged his face to the hand again. "Mmmph, mmm... Ai shiteiru..."

"Love you, too..."

Kurohi nudged the slender hand again and licked the fingers. The god giggled softly, but allowed the act to continue. "Maybe tonight, hehe... okay? Heheh... but I need to get up."

Blue eyes slid open halfway. "Hmm... m'kay..." He rolled over, still exhausted.

Actually, he wasn't a morning person.

"You need to get up, too," insisted the male, throwing on his clothes and going back into toddler form, baby-blue pacifier and all.

"...Doshite?"

"You want it tonight, right?"

"Hai..." He snuggled further into the quilts.

"I won't give it to you if you don't get up."

He was up like a bolt of lightening. He struggled to put on his pants and fumbled with his shirt right after.

"Settle down! Let me help." He stepped forward.

He seemed jittery.

Too jittery.

"N-no! I-I can manage!" He pulled on his shoes. "I-I'll be outside." He flitted out.

Koenma blinked. What was his problem?

End Day 9, Begin Day 10's Morning

Started 4/5/03, 7:09AM; Finished 4/6/03, 3:12PM Revisions: 10/12/03

Inu Dog

Watashi no my

Shimatta damn

Onisan older brother

Ai shiteiru I love you


	15. Day 10 Forgotten Memories of the Ryu You...

10 Years of Waiting

by Kurohi Tatsaki

Day 10a - Forgotten Memories of the Ryu Youkai

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH, & never will. Kurohi & Yamiryuinu, Shirokoori, and all the other original characters I and Kohaku Frost come up with are property of Beware of Mage & Tsuki Ryu Productions.

"speaking" thinking noise POV change beginning/ending of dreams flashback beginning/endings /Telepathic speech/ passing of time /strange voice/ dream playback

Day 10, here we go! Wow, over 40 reviews! I LUV you people!

"I'm NOT a baby YET!" Angelique

A lone figure flipped through a large, hard book on an old oak table. It contained various spells and other enchantments. A single person, this one, could read the ancient scriptures of the Tsuki Ryu, or the "Moon Dragon".

She was this type of creature, crossed with a few other beasts.

Moon Dragons, or Tsuki Ryu, were all female creatures, just like Ice Apparitions.

But, there was something else... No, someone...

A tap on her window was heard, disrupting the thought.

Only ONE person would do that.

It sure wasn't Kurohi. He always used the door.

She frowned slightly, strode over to the window and opened it. "Hey, Hiei. Lemme guess, here to 'take care of me' just like so many times before?"

Hiei was silent, stepping inside the giant library, but nodded once. He glanced around the wide room.

"Your aura seems a bit different," she commented.

Hiei snapped his gaze back, but remained silent.

"You found your life partner, haven't you?"

"Hn." The fire demon nodded once and shoved a few bangs of of black hair out of his eyes. They simply moved back. He frowned cutely at them.

"Well, who is it?" she asked in her melody of a voice.

"Kurama," replied Hiei quietly.

"Ah, the youko..." she mused aloud. Then, she changed the topic. "Anyway, I've heard you've been training little Kurohi. So, how is he fairing?" she asked sweetly.

"Rather well. I didn't really expect him to rise up the ranks quicker than I did."

"You have competition, eh?" The blonde winked. "Dragon on dragon..."

"Those fights were only for training. Had it not been, he would have been dead by now." He grinned slightly.

The woman frowned. "That's not funny. Not at all." Considering just WHO Kurohi is! He's had to suffer even more than he can remember... "Look, my rebirth isn't for another week. You can come back then, in the morning..."

"Nah," he said, chuckling. "The little baby girl needs care ASAP."

"I'm NOT a baby YET!" she retorted, fuming falsely at the tease the fire demon had given her. Though, she hated it when he changed her diapers every month for a few days. Damn the stupid CYCLE!

He sat on the windowsill. "Anyway, looked up anything interesting, Birdie?"

"I'm NOT a 'birdie' just because I'm part phoenix!" she retaliated hotly. "But, I did find a few things," she said calmly.

"Like?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

"Why, you have another premonition, koningen?" he asked smoothly.

"For the LAST TIME, STOP CALLING ME BABY!" she shrieked. Then she flipped through a few pages in a book. "I know... I'll transfigure you into a black cat!"

The red-eyed demon panicked; more out of the fact that if Kuwabara was around... EEEK! The baka would probably act around him like any other cat if he was transformed into one! (A/N: Refer to the Eikichi episode.) "Don't you DARE turn ME into anything, or else Kurama'll have your hide!"

"Mmm, hmm..." she said without being convinced. "How so, if I wind up burning his plants? He's not exactly the type to-"

She was now neck-to-eye with the short demon. He frowned deeply, looking up. "Don't you DARE consider doing such a thing. If so, you'll have to say hello to my blade, but then again, even THAT attempt would be fruitless."

She smiled. "Right!" She chirped. Eyeing a few more pages in the book once again, her eyes wandered past the strange, but understandable words and to another book.

A journal, written long, long ago - in a language that was just below the Tsuki Ryu.

Ryu Youkai.

She opened it, and then remembered a small code she had inscribed at the last page of the book.

Muttering the words, she was treated to a small orb that was regurgitated from its demon-hide binds. Her eyes widened slightly as she remembered what it was that was in the orb:

Memories.

Memories that would taint the owner, so he had them stored for his own mental safety.

"What'cha got there, Angel?" Hiei asked casually, peeking over her shoulder. "Ah, is that one of your "amber stone" thingamajigs?"

"No... it isn't," she murmured, gazing at the object thoughtfully.

"Then, what?"

"A memory jewel I kept for Kurohi. He pays me one amber stone a month for its storage."

"Aren't you best friends?"

"I still need to be paid for my services. Even if we are good friends." She paused. "He said I had a right to look into it if its contents could prove useful. All the memories in here are the ones that are no longer in his mind. If I told him about the memory, or memories, he would usually just give me an odd look and mutter, 'Whatever'." She imitated his voice almost completely down to the precise note. The tone and air were just the same as he had said them six years ago.

He hadn't changed a hair in that time. Save the fact his hair had gotten a shade or two lighter from all his wandering.

"Anywho, I've been receiving odd waves coming from your student. He, too, has found a mate?"

"Yeah."

"Male?"

"How do you... oh, that's right, you're kinda a psychic. But, yeah."

"Good to hear," she chirped. "Now I shouldn't have to worry about SOME PEOPLE trying to get me and him together, even if it IS just for offspring." That stupid Dino Youkai... he's been trying to get us together for a LONG time.

"But, aren't Tsuki Ryu genes completely different from Ryu Youkai?"

"Yep. I couldn't mate properly with a Ryu Youkai. Sure, they have the equipment, but the chromosome count is waaaay off. I'd never work. The child wouldn't even have enough, or too much, components to function properly. It would die quickly, as an embryo."

"Then, why would 'some people' want to pair you and him up?"

"Why wouldn't they? We have the exact same count."

Hiei couldn't understand this girl OR the term she used called 'chromosomes'. But, something didn't seem quite correct. "Eh, I'm not really following you..."

"Okay, I'll explain, but tell no one right now. I want them to find out on their own. Kurohi is..."

"Um, Kurohi?"

"Yeah, Botan-san?" he asked, sucking on a butterscotch disk of candy he found in a dish in Koenma's room while leaning back against the upper trunk of a tree, weight balanced easily on one sturdy branch. He glanced up at the blue-haired oar rider, then closed his large eyes again.

"Can you take me to see Angel-sama?"

"Why?" he asked, holding the candy between his back teeth.

"I really need help getting over Koenma-chan."

He sat up, opening his crystalline eyes. They were filled with a dose of pity.

Pity to her, or perhaps, himself.

"If you really, really want her to block off your thoughts, your memories, of Koenma-chan being your fiancé, then..." he stood up, leaning against the tree. "come with me..." he uttered softly. "...I'll take you to her. Follow me!" He leaped off the tree, landing several hundreds of feet below with ease, and dashing off in a semi-blur (A/N: Yeah, the kinda blur that Alucard leaves behind when you make him run AKA: pressing left, or right on the d-pad in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night).

Soon, they came upon a grand estate.

He no longer looked at her with contempt. He had what he wanted, and he had no more need to harbor any negative emotions. "This way, Botan-san," he uttered, then stopped a moment. "Matte... Nan... What is Hiei-sama doing here? Yukusei!" He dashed up, greeting the servants hurriedly. He rang the bell.

"Angel-samaaaaa!" he called.

"Up here!"

He craned his neck up and eyed the second-story window. "Angel-sama! Botan-san, guide of the Reikai here to see you!"

"And not you?" she hollered back jokingly.

"I didn't say that! We're coming in!" he shouted giddily.

"Fine! Then we can discuss my payment!"

"Hai! Of course!" He dashed inside, memories rushing freely to his mind.

He was assaulted with his first visit. It had been in the middle of summer. He was pleasantly warm in the heat, and then, he had seen a pretty woman with blonde hair and silver eyes.

Angel in one of her latest forms... just before her rebirth.

Three days before that, actually. He had flipped out when he saw an infant staring up at him the day later.

He shook his head. Going back to his memories NOW would distract him.

"Now where, Kurohi?"

"Up!" His tail swished on its own. He crouched down, and looked up. Yes, forty percent of his strength would get him up that vertical tunnel.

He leapt, grasping the ledge. The boy flipped himself up onto the guard railing and stared eye to eye with Angel.

She was in her second to last phase before she incinerated... again.

"What's my fee for you holding onto my memory trinket?"

"Five."

He reached into a pocket and fished the stones out. He held out his hand. The woman took them in her slender hand, nodding satisfactorily. "Want to store a few more?"

He hesitated, seeing his teacher in the corner. He looked back to the woman and nodded once. "Yes, actually... I remember dreaming, but I don't remember the dream. Is it possible for you to fish it out?"

Botan tapped him once on the shoulder. He turned around, slight surprise on his face. Kurohi masked it quickly. "Yeah?"

She gave him a look. He nodded and scratched the back of his head. He turned back to the woman.

"Yes. Would you like to view it later?"

He thought a moment as his stomach did a flip-flop. He remembered the first time she did that.

He had been so shaky he had thrown up.

He frowned slightly. "Yes. And, also, Botan-san's next."

"Hai." She held out a hand, muttering a spell. Kurohi closed his eyes and bowed his head a little, shaking slightly.

Though the spell never hurt him, it tended to send shivers throughout his body. Gently, he felt his mind being touched, but it was enough to send him to one knee with a shaky sigh. He panted as a feeling of nausea swept through him and he shuddered, fighting against it.

Slowly, it stopped, and he breathed easier again. He caught his breath, eyeing the demoness with two blue eyes. "Let me see."

Angel muttered another spell. The black-haired demon came over to watch as well.

The dream began again, playing in the middle of the room...

"What do you want to show me now, Dragon?"

A soft light shown in the image's eyes, and he hid those blue orbs with one pale hand. When the light seemed to dim, only then did he remove his arm from his face.

A brown-haired teen, kinda like the image of Kurohi. The boy's gaze was fixed on this male.

He was dressed in his robes that were so familiar, a shade of blue, white and canary yellow. He wore a delicate pink scarf and a red sash. His robes billowed, reeking royalty before the bare-chested Ryu Youkai.

Behind him hovered a soft-gray colored dragon with gentle, violet eyes.

"K... Koenma-sama!"

He finally turned to the boy, gold eyes shining. Then he vanished slowly into the light that surrounded him.

"Nan da do! Matte!" He quickly reached out as the traces slowly fled. He heard laughing behind him; he turned around, and came face-to-face with the one person he seemed to loath. His eyebrows drew tightly against his eyes.

"Kisama!"

The figure laughed, black cloak hiding all his features save his bright gold eyes. They glowed menacingly.

"You were the one who gave me the dragon mark, didn't you!"

"Ha! I did no such thing. How could I? I wasn't around a millennia ago."

His brow furrowed, as if confused. "N...nani? What are you talking about?"

"Hn. I shouldn't have even breathed that. You should be more worried about..." the man paused, and regarded the parts of the dragon mark that were easily seen on the fronts of the lad's bare shoulders. "Wait a second, I've seen that mark before. Yes, one like that was applied to someone many years ago. I'd say a couple hundred thousand years ago when I first saw it. Why is it that you have one of those? You appear no more than seventeen."

"Why, should I, answer, you?" he growled slowly.

/Child, you are right. You shouldn't answer him! He is far worse than I could ever be/ whispered the dragon. It... no, SHE gave off a tender presence.

"Hm, 'Why should I answer you' you say?" mocked the man. "Because..."

/Don't listen to his words! Nothing but lies! Don't listen/ she begged.

"I am a part of you, you a part of me."

"Untrue!" snapped Kurohi.

Those hated eyes regarded him. "Why would I lie?"

"Because..." he, too, hesitated. "you made my friends suffer! You tampered with Dragon's weavings and made me lose trust in the only other being of few!"

A cold smile. "Well, at least you've got brains. I think I'll... chat with you later. Ciao."

The Kurohi image turned to the gray dragon behind him. Those warming violet eyes gazed softly back at him, despite the fact that irritation brewed in their depths. The owner of this dragon, the lad who stood before her, was unaffected. /We will fix what went wrong. You know, he tricked you into thinking it was me that made your friends suffer./

Nodding once, the boy let the dragon continue.

/Furthermore, I suggest we have you wake up and rejoin the others. The wedding is about to begin./

He paused at this. "For how long was I out?"

/Approximately a quarter of an hour/ came the soft reply.

"Che. That short? Okay, wake me up. In this realm the only eyes I can open are my spiritual ones."

/As you wish, my darling master./

Hiei looked at Kurohi with his almond-shaped red eyes. "So that's what you were trying to tell Kurama and me..."

He simply shrugged. "I guess. I don't remember having that dream."

The fire demon gave him a look. "Nan da do?"

The boy shrugged again. "Just what I said. Botan, your turn, though you might want to brace you mind... and your stomach. For half a year, I'll pay for your memory jewel, then you're on your own."

"O-okay..."

"Think of the memory..." Angel began.

Kurohi flitted away, feeling slightly... empty, now that a memory of his had been removed.

Why did he have his memories locked away inside an orb, anyway?

He couldn't remember why.

How odd.

It was like his mind was blank on the subject... as if he never thought of it before.

How strange.

Well, he did just now, but that was another matter.

He came to a stop atop a tree. Anxiously running a hand through his baby-fine tresses of hair, he surveyed his surroundings.

A forest... It was... calling to him!

Wait, trees can't talk... can they?

Maybe it's the youko on me...

He paused, and turned the other way. He wouldn't go here. No. Not yet.

And yet...

Why do you call me? What is it that you want? Is this the place I... He shook his head. "No, I'm going to talk to Koenma-chan about this. Yes, yes, I'm going to. There's something off about this forest. It's like... there's a presence here..."

/Are you talking to yourself again/ asked Yowaihaiiro softly.

"Why, yes. Problem?"

/Well, it's just that, Hiei has followed you./

"Hiei-sama?" He turned around, and sure enough, the five-foot-three-to-four-ish fire demon stood a few yards away, across from him on another tree, hands shoved shallowly into his jeans pockets.

"I thought I'd find you here." He flitted to just below the other demon, craning his neck to look up at the multi-demon now. Kurohi flitted down one branch to be eye to eye with the Jaganshi. "You seem to be preoccupied with yourself much too often. It's bound to get you killed someday," was all he said.

Blue eyes flickered in the slowly fading light as he blinked, long lashes hiding those orbs for a fraction of a second. "Yes, and death was what I wanted a long time ago. You already know I was slightly suicidal. A meager amount still lingers, but..." A small smile graced his features. "Not to sound mushy, but Koenma-chan seems to push even the slightest consideration out of my mind."

"Kurama told me once that to have someone to fight for makes you stronger than you would be if you had nothing to fight for. Cherish that strength." With that, he flitted away as the way of movement he was named after... "Flying Shadow".

Kurohi hesitated a moment, and was about to leave that place, when he heard an explosion some distance ahead of him. Without a second thought, he went to investigate.

End Day 10's dusk

Whoo! Took a while! I had writer's block & homework! Oh, and a Kurohi Interview chapter is coming out once I get enough questions, so any suggestions are welcomed with open arms!

On another topic, I got four reviews on one of my artworks. It was a Kurama/Hiei shonen ai drawing. Hiei is in Kurama's lap and they're sitting on a thick tree branch. One person said that it was just "wrong" and other things like how it was just icky. From another friend, she said that it looked good. And from a third friend, he said that it was up in the halls (as if I didn't know) and it looked pretty nice. Then kaasan said that the best part of it was the tree I drew in the far right corner. I have to agree. I detailed that thing like a color anime! Cross between real and anime! All you haveta do is just, when doing the indentations in the bark, use a nearly dry brush of brown watercolor. Then add some background color to it, and then blend with a rough brush, using short strokes from the dark lines out toward where you didn't put anything besides a lighter sheen of brown paint... Oh, what the hell, I'll haveta scan it once I can.

The action/adventure part starts soon! Whoopee!

Yukusei Let's go! (sounds like: Yuk'xeh)

Started 4/7/03, 5:11PM; Finished 4/11/03, 9:31PM

Revisions: 10/12/03


	16. Day 10b Threatened

10 Years of Waiting

by Kurohi Tatsaki

Day 10b - Threatened

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH, & never will. Kurohi & Yamiryuinu, Shirokoori, and all the other original characters I and Kohaku Frost come up with are property of Beware of Mage & Tsuki Ryu Productions.

"speaking" thinking noise POV change beginning/ending of dreams flashback beginning/endings /Telepathic speech/ passing of time /strange voice/ dream playback

Whoo! I was on a roll!

"Have fun with your dick, Botan-kun!" Angel

The explosion came again, closer to him as he honed in on the sound. He grunted slightly as he picked up his pace.

Suddenly, the explosions ended, leaving him in a clearing. Trees surrounded him from a distance, as the void of those giants was very wide and noticable. He looked around, the sun still setting, and finally settling to sleep.

"Master had been wondering when you'd get here!" cried a sweet, slightly deep voice. Kurohi let his gaze shoot upward.

It was a one-eyed dragon with many feathers. It had and elegant face, and its head didn't seem quite proportional to its body. Its wings were tremendous in length and size. Its body was slender, and it held a large shield, white with blue and red, called the Shaman, and a long spear clutched in the left claw. The Battle Spear.

"A Dragon Clone!"

"Aaah, so you remember us! Come! My Master awaits!" It smiled with its 'beak'. At this time, a child would run crying for mommy.

"I'm going nowhere!"

"You come or else-"

"Or else, what?" asked a third voice. Kurohi snapped his head around.

"Hiei-sama!" A grin appeared on the boy's face.

"Baka! Keep your eye on your opponent!"

The grin fell, and he did as told.

"Mmm... 'opponent'... 'dragon clone'... I have a name, you asses! It's TAKA! Kurohi! Come with me at once unless you'd rather have everyone else suffer the consequences!"

He blinked. "N-nanda do! You CHEAPSKATE! Leave my friends outta this! This's between you an' me, DRAGON!"

He speaks to the dragon as if master, and he has the right to, anyway, mused Hiei. After all, being the only male Tsuki Ryu, he has the power to control dragons like this, the one that he owns, and the one he can become. That would make that figure in his dream... the only Ryu Youkai! "Taka, was it?"

"Yes!" replied the one-eyed dragon.

"He'll go. Just let him bring a few friends, and he'll go."

"Fine, but I'll haunt you if my Master kills me!" With three powerful thrusts of its wings, Taka took off in a fine line of flames.

"Dragon..." he murmured. His eyes took on a dazed glow. But, Ryu Youkai are supposed to own one... why do I become one...? "Hiei-sama, arigatou... I think I should return to Koenma-chan... I should report this. Go ahead and tell the others if you like."

Hiei just stood there a distance behind him a moment longer as Kurohi flitted off to see Koenma.

Speaking of reporting, I guess it'd be nice of me to tell Kurama. In a blur, he, too, left. He swiftly came upon the Minamino-Hatanaka Residence. He perched on his familiar branch and stepped through the open window.

So, he DID keep his promise. He left the window open.

"I knew I sensed you coming here. Why the frown, Hiei?"

He looked at the fox who had settled himself in the shadows of his own room.

"We're going to have problems. We got a visit from a 'Dragon Clone' named Taka. Her request was that Kurohi go with her to her master... unless he wanted any of us to become injured or worse."

"Seems like another case, only Koenma doesn't seem to know about it. I assume Kurohi has already long-since left to go back to Reikai?"

Hiei nodded, the frown still lingering. He unbound his hair and threw the ward somewhere in the room. He pulled off his black boots and removed his cloak, grasping it on an opening somewhere and whisking it off effortlessly. The snow-white bandanna had come off that same instant. He wore a black tank top underneath it and wore two of his four white belts.

"We had better get rest right now while we can. I am assuming we will have a tough job on our hands."

"Ah, advice from my favorite Jaganshi. Well, I am a little tired, but would you like something to eat?"

Hiei's stomach gurgled. The redhead chuckled softly in his alto voice and grasped Hiei's warded hand. He tugged him downstairs to the kitchen and began to prepare the meal.

The fire demon had wrapped his arms atop the fox's shoulders, and was nuzzling his neck affectionately.

The emerald-eyed beauty giggled. "Now who's the animal?"

"Don't ask."

"I just did."

"Mmm... and I'm telling you not to."

"Too late. I already did."

"And to answer that, I guess we both are."

A pause.

"But you more than me, Fox."

Kurama licked the wing of Hiei's nose in reply, making his red eyes cross for a second. He frowned cutely. "Whad'ja do that for?"

"That comment. Oh! Ramen's done!"

"Good! I'm starving."

"You're always hungry."

"I digest quickly with all that running I do. I have a right to eat a lot."

"Uh-huh..." replied the fox. "Anyway, some of this is for me, so don't complain."

"Okay."

Stupid Angel! "ANGEL! Why the hell did you do THIS to me!"

The woman in question chuckled. "Just for fun. I needed some entertainment."

"But you didn't have to turn me into a... a..."

"A man, Botan. A man."

"I was GETTING TO THAT!" The blue-haired, pink-eyed she-he tried to calm himself down (A/N: I'm just going to refer to Botan as a 'he'). "Anyway," he continued in his alluring voice. "You'd better change me back."

"I can't. I dropped the book in the fire, remember?"

"Yeah..."

"Not only that, the fire went out, so... you're stuck like that until I can find the cure. Had the fire stayed lit, all I would have to have had to do was recite the incantation that would change you back. Too bad."

"What! 'Too bad'! Is that all you can say! 'Too bad'! This is a crisis! I'm a HE! I SHOULD BE A SHE!"

The woman turned around. "Have fun with your dick, Botan-kun!"

Botan fumed and got onto his oar. "Damn her..." He found himself aroused by her beauty, and cursed once more.

Great. On one hand, he wanted to be female again. On the other, he wanted to stay as a male because then he might have a chance to be Angel's koibito.

Damn that Tsuki Ryu!

"Koenma-chan! I'm back!"

No answer, not even the stamping was heard. Kurohi's stomach dropped at the lack of sound. 'Heheheheheh... maybe he's asleep!' he tried to convince himself. He entered the office. It was crowded with ogres.

"What the hell's goin' on here!"

"K-Koenma-sama... Koenma-sama ga..." stammered the blue ogre, George.

"Koenma-chan ga...?" he mirrored. He wanted an answer. 'Koenma-chan is...?'

"Koenma-sama... was kidnapped."

Kurohi blinked, eyes wide. "Na... na... na...

"...

"...

"...

"_**NANDA DO---!"**_

End Day 10

R&R!

Yes, I know, I'm evil. Don't any of you worry. I won't have anything too horrible happen to Koenma. I like him too much.

Started 4/12/03, 9:44AM; Finished 4/12/03, 1:48PM

Revisions: 10/12/03


	17. Day 11a Broken Spell, Forever Bonded

10 Years of Waiting

by Kurohi Tatsaki

Day 11a - Broken Spell, Forever Bonded

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH, & never will. Kurohi & Yamiryuinu, Shirokoori, and all the other original characters I and Kohaku Frost come up with are property of Beware of Mage & Tsuki Ryu Productions.

Scarby - The newest pairing IS Botan/Angel. Think about the rebirth cycle of the Phoenix, but I'll have to ask my friend, Kohaku Frost, about it. (Angel does IN FACT belong to her, not me. And I'm not quite clear on her past, either, so I'll have to postpone writing about it) And I'm gonna force them both into this mission that will officially start at least next chapter! I can't scan the picture yet cuz we don't have a working printer. I accidentally busted it up before we even had it for a year and then Kayko (our retriever/chow mutt, about an 11 month old puppy) chewed the wire in half a few months later, and we need a printer so I can hook up the scanner at all! grumbles Though, the best part of the picture wasn't Hiei sitting in Kurama's lap. (I kinda screwed up Kurama's right hand and he looks more girly than usual.) Kaasan says it was the tree. But, yeah, I'll let you see it once I can. (I'll also have to take a picture of it cuz it's on a watercolor paper "canvas"... Em, what I mean is, HUGE watercolor paper.) Oh, and if you do a "wash" (putting a bit of water down first) You can do skies really well. The only thing left to do, is that if the transition looks choppy, get some water on a rough brush and blend it together!

/ song paragraph end POV switch passing of time

"K-Kidnapped! K... Koenma-chan..." The devastated male slumped to the floor. His bangs hid his face. "How... how, what... WHO!" His body shook with unreleased sobs.

"A black-cloaked man who had your eye color and hair color," he replied gravely. "He brought a very large dragon with him, and took off once he got Koenma-sama. He just slaughtered half of us when we tried to interfere. He said that he wanted you at his location NOW, which was at a fortress in Makai."

"Damn him!" He pounded a fist into the tile, making a small break in the blue stone. "Hiei-sama and I both AGREED that we would wait until tomorrow! Ashita, ashita, A. SHI. TA! Not today!" He hiccuped once or twice. He shuddered, growling like a rabid demon. Slowly, it stopped. Just when they thought the storm had subsided, even THEY felt his growing, explosive ki. Like... it was just about ready to seek whatever, whoever had taken his beloved and murder it.

He flitted out of sight, his heart hurting all over again. No! I can't faint now! He flitted to Kurama's window, and tapped on it. Hiei was the first one up, as he hadn't quite fallen asleep, actually. He woke his fox and slid open the window. The strange, wild look in the boy's eyes almost scared the fire demon. He spoke, barely above a whisper. "K-Koenma-chan... whe... when I got back, he... he..."

His friends were silent, despite having been woken from slumber. They let him settle himself down and try to speak coherently. His voice shook with every word. "The ogres... they said he was... kidnapped... Probably as bait for... for me, oh god..." He leaned against the wall, catching his breath.

The erratic beating had returned full force. It hurt like hell.

The enchantment had probably been broken. Hopefully, not forever.

"I... Night-night..." With that, he fell unconscious, about to fall to the floor. Hiei caught the light burden in his arms.

Long night, indeed.

"What do you want with me, Ryu Youkai! Do you have any idea whom you just TOOK!" He tugged at his binds.

"Yes. Enma Jr., also known as Koenma of the Reikai; also my half-brother's lover. Am I right?"

Koenma was silent a moment. "Half-brother?"

"Yes. He is the only born male of the Tsuki Ryu, not a Ryu Youkai as you used to think. Rather dangerous creature," he hissed. "He has high mental vulnerabilities, and grows... attached... to people, so, to speed up his postponed death, I have taken you from him."

"Damn you...! He won't break that easily!"

Shirokoori laughed heartily. "Oh yes he will, but don't worry. I won't kill you, but... ah, he's asleep... Watch, Koenma! Watch what I do with his weak mind!"

He pulled up a hologram of sorts. He manipulated it so that he would also appear in it. Kurohi appeared across from him. His dragon, beautiful and childlike, hovered behind him.

"Kisama! (A/N: Also means "bastard") Return Koenma-chan!"

"Why? He doesn't want you back. He came with me when I asked. We've already fucked. What other proof is there?"

Hurt visibly flashed on his face multiple times.

/See? Now, to finish him off/

"I know I'm dreaming... Koenma-koi... He wouldn't... He can't... Koenma-koi! Can you hear me! I know I never told you, but I've established a mental link between us ever since we made love! Use your mind and please talk to me! Please!"

Gold eyes flickered. /Kurohi.../

"Koenma-koi!" He seemed to cheer up, ignoring his half brother. "You CAN hear me! Kansha Kami! Daijobu ka!"

/Genki/ he replied.

"I almost thought I lost you! Wait for me! I'll come and get you! Watashi yakusoku!"

"You should worry about yourself, kid!"

"Y'know, Shirokoori? I think I oughtta KILL YOU! Hi-Kobushi!" A bright flame danced at his fingertips. The flames multiplied and grew before he released them. When the fires extinguished, his brown-haired, blue-eyed brother had fled.

"DAMN YOU! Get back here you coward! Lead me to Koenma-koi, you bastard! KI---SA----MA------!"

Koenma watched his love growling into the distance of the misty forest. He turned away, giving the forest one last glance before going the way he would have come.

The hologram ended there.

"His will is stronger right now. I'll have to wait for a bit of time before he grows weaker."

"If I know Kurohi, he'll probably kill you for taking me, you know."

"I doubt he'd have the heart to kill his half-brother. He was actually a mistake of the Tsuki Ryu, that he is the only male, as I have previously said. Had his mother not fallen in love with a male demon, he would have been a female."

"Your point?"

"If you ever ran into an old age Tsuki Ryu, they'd be calling him names. You sure you want to continue a relationship with someone who is hated by most of his own people?"

He nodded. "Yes, but I don't care about that. I loved him long before I've heard about his past. You have NO RIGHT to break us apart! Now untie me!"

"Taka-chan, please place him in a cell downstairs."

"Which kind? The one for dragons or the one for humans?"

"The one for dragons. He is a god, after all."

(A/N: Some of these data has been used in reference to the Dragon-Battling game "Dragon Seeds". Sure, it only got 2/5 disk rating but hey! They're dragons!)

Clawed hand hauled him up off the ground and into the air. He dangled in the grasp of the blue dragon as they progressed down a hall.

"T-Taka, right?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Why do you work for someone like that?"

"He picked my DNA strand, which was/The Wind is Eternal/. He chose the winged dragon type, and chose that strand, which became... me. My job is to do my master's bidding, but more importantly of all, fight... not put you in some freezing cell that pauses all life for as long as he wishes!"

Koenma's eyes widened and he wriggled around in his toddler form. "Damn! You're gonna WHAT! Damn you!"

"Damn my Master, not me."

"Mmm... nnn... Koen...ma..."

Hiei glanced at Kurama, but made no comment. When he looked back, blue eyes, full of rage, met him.

The fire demon stumbled back a little even as Kurohi sat up. He looked around, then visibly sagged, looking at the far wall. "So... it wasn't a dream..." The blue-eyed one gazed at the koorime hybrid again, and the hankoorime blinked at the expression.

Just when he was looking for Yukina when she was kidnapped by Tarukane. Kurohi stood up and opened the window. "Hiei, you know about that forest we went to? We're going there. I have a hunch that that is the right place to go. Get your things and come as soon as you can. Alert the other Tantei-tachi. I will not depart until everyone who is coming is present, because what we're up against could be far more difficult than anything any of us have ever faced. I shall also alert Angel and Botan. We'll need all the help we can get."

With that, he flitted out the window.

Kurama gazed at his love and grinned. "This should prove to be entertaining. I shall notify Kuwabara, and you can go tell Yusuke."

Hiei flitted out the window after giving his fox a sideways glance.

Kurama tied his hair back and rushed downstairs.

This would be just like old times!

End Day 11's early morning

R&R!

Yay! I'm getting fast updates! Now, all I'll have to do is drag out the mission a little and voila! Hey, if I have some days left over once they finish the mission can you people help me out with some "after mission activities" for the characters? Answer this question in your review if you like:

Should Angel find and use the cure on Botan and have her change back, (for a yuri pairing never wrote one before) or should the cure be extinct/out of production and have Botan remain as a boy (to have a M/F relationship)?

I also got 3 pages worth of interview! Hope this helps! I will be updating THAT continuously! Keep coming up with questions that way EVERYTHING would be cleared up!

Thankies!

kansha thank

genki I'm fine/healthy

yakusoku promise

hi fire

kobushi fist

Started 4/12/03, 1:50PM; Finished 4/13/03, 11:07AM


	18. A Brief Interview, Hosted By Yusuke Uram...

10 Years of Waiting  
  
by Kurohi Tatsaki  
  
A Brief Interview, Hosted by Yusuke Urameshi!  
  
Part 1  
  
By Kurohi Tatsaki  
  
***************************************  
  
Yusuke *with a recorder*: "So, Kurohi, to begin, how did you get that tattoo?"  
  
Kurohi *sighs*: "The Scientists."  
  
Yusuke *looks confused*: "But, didn't Shirokoori tell you in a dream that he didn't see it before, but witnessed one a long time ago? He seemed he was implying that you were that person."  
  
Kurohi *nods*: "Yes, he did see one long ago. But it was another one. Not mine. It probably occurred during the Dark Ages when he saw it, when we grew more advanced."  
  
Yusuke: "Why aren't all your memories in your head?"  
  
Kurohi *small grin*: "At the time I wasn't completely stable, as I have a slight case of insanity. Truth could make matters worse, so I let Angel- sama keep some of my memories inside that little orb."  
  
Yusuke: "What about the memories you forget?"  
  
Kurohi: "Angel-sama can draw them directly from my mind, in perfect condition, without inflicting pain on me, regardless on how *I* remember the faded memory. All I have to do is remember a slight bit of it for her to withdraw it. Once that is done, I no longer remember it. She could take away ALL my memories with that ability of hers, so I sometimes must always remain on my guard. It's kinda scary, and it would be completely, if she weren't my friend."  
  
Yusuke *sweat-drop*: "Daaaamn. Em, anyway, what, exactly, *is* Angel?"  
  
Kurohi: "A Tsuki Ryu mixed with a Phoenix. A rarity."  
  
Yusuke: "Hiei told me you were slightly suicidal. What would happen to you if Koenma died?"  
  
Kurohi: "I'd either, one, lose my mind and probably go insane for a long time, or, two, I'd follow him wherever he's going and drag him back to the living world. However, the first option doesn't sound very appealing, does it?"  
  
Yusuke *nods once*: "Why is there some red in your hair?"  
  
Kurohi: "Kurama's ningen genes infused into me by those scientists. I am also fast and capable of making fire materialize at my fingertips because of Hiei's genes."  
  
Yusuke: "Oookay, what's a Tsuki Ryu?"  
  
Kurohi: "An all-female race of dragon demonesses. Take Angel for example. She can never die, and is on a constant reincarnation cycle due to a spell. She has several phases, and once she reaches the last one, she bursts into flames and what should be ashes is a child. Hiei usually takes care of her for the few days she's a baby." *he looks at the duo*  
  
Angel: "HIEI! I CAN CHANGE MY OWN DIAPERS!!"  
  
Hiei *smirking as he changes the stinky diaper*: "Yeah, right, koningen!"  
  
Angel: "Do this again and I'll have to burn you!"  
  
Hiei: "Talk about turning down the heat! I'm more fire demon than you are Phoenix!"  
  
Kurohi *looks away*: "Riiiiight... Anyway, another question?"  
  
Yusuke: "Em, yeah. What exactly are you?"  
  
Kurohi: "Fire demon, youko, ningen, and dragon demon crossbreed."  
  
Yusuke: "What race can become dragons?"  
  
Kurohi: "Only the Tsuki Ryu."  
  
Yusuke: "But, you're Ryu Youkai, the male race, right?"  
  
Kurohi: "There are both" *holds up two fingers* "-genders in Ryu Youkai." *folds his arms against his chest* "Only males in Dino Youkai, and all females in Tsuki Ryu. However, the Dino Youkai and Tsuki Ryu cannot mate, nor can Ryu Youkai and Tsuki Ryu mate, but, Dino Youkai and Tsuki Ryu can mate with ningen-tachi."  
  
Yusuke: "So, that would make you a Tsuki Ryu?"  
  
Kurohi *nods*: "The one and only male. A Tsuki Ryu mated with my ancestor, whom I have yet to uncover who this man is. He was probably a long-age homosapien, so I'm guessing he's dead, but I have other ideas. I'm bound to find out the truth sooner or later. Though, this goal itself I only learn of in a later chapter. KT thinks she should put it during the time I'm trying desperately to find Koenma-koi."  
  
Yusuke: "Kurohi, why didn't you ever try anything with Angel? After all, you did say that you were aroused by her." (Suggested by: HieiNimbus3007)  
  
Kurohi: "It was only by looks and some of her personality that I was aroused. I never touched her because of the difference in species, as I had viewed it at the time, not knowing that I had the same chromosome count because of the species we were. Besides, she and I had no intentions of getting together anytime soon, anyway. Also, I'm too much devoted to Koenma- chan, and would give up my life to him, if need be." ^_^  
  
Yusuke: "Speaking of the toddler, what it is like to have sex with a god?" (Suggested by: HieiNimbus3007)  
  
Kurohi: "Koenma-koi is NOT a toddler! But, once the stupid writer gets the chapter up and running, you'll know EXACTLY what it's like... But here's a hint: It's kinda... wild."  
  
KT: "Hey!! I'm working my ass off here to advance the plot! I still have plenty of time before I end this series! At this rate I could be done sometime next year, the end of this year, or something!"  
  
Kurohi: "Baka ningen. Then again, you DO type about 40-55 words a minute. So, I HAVE to give ya credit for that! Not only that, you're coming up with all this off the top of your head!"  
  
KT: "Hey! Don't complain! The fans love it, ne?!"  
  
Yusuke *sweatdrop*: "That's all I need to know right now. Look for Part 2 sometime!"  
  
Everyone: "JA NE!!" 


	19. Day 11b Moving Out

10 Years of Waiting

by Kurohi Tatsaki

Day 11b - Moving Out

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH, & never will. Kurohi & Yamiryuinu, Shirokoori, and all the other original characters I and Kohaku Frost come up with are property of Beware of Mage & Tsuki Ryu Productions.

HieiNimbus3007 - No, he isn't, is he? He kinda likes to avoid answering things on the personal level, specifically.

Gami-chan - raises an eyebrow Look, I like the language, so I'm going to use it no matter what anybody says. So far, the other reviewers like it. If you have a problem with it, go elsewhere. After all, I'm not forcing you to read this. This fanfic is also a method for me to get BETTER. Besides, who would want ALL Japanese in a sentence? Some Americans don't fluently speak or read Japanese, (namely, me) and they wouldn't get the gist of sentences if I wrote a whole sentence in that language.

Everyone, I hope you enjoy! This is my first YuYuHakusho fic that became longer than three chapters, and I'm pretty damn well happy about this!

Waaa! I love your reviews! Sorry about the wait, guys!

/ song paragraph end POV switch passing of time 3rd pov sounds 

"I was just comparing how Kurohi was to Koenma and how I was to you." Hiei

Angel took a sideways glance at her friend. He wore his usual large blue, button down shirt and light blue jeans, which didn't clash with his light blue shoes.

He looked as if he hadn't slept well at all.

Well, who would if your lover was unexpectedly taken just as you had realized the benefits and warmth of true, unbreakable love?

She looked at Botan and chuckled softly to herself. The chuckle was all but lost in her dark black robe.

The "it" in reference fumed next to her. The blue-haired, pink-eyed female-turned-male clutched his oar tightly before making it disappear off somewhere. He wore a dark green tunic and had combed his long, blue hair into a low ponytail instead of his usual high-up-in-the-air one.

Kurohi gazed into the entrance of the forest they were to enter soon. His mind, a blank, yet so full, the thoughts became even more jumbled than a hurricane tearing into a three story home. However, despite the chaos, one thought remained intact:

Save Koenma-koi.

prrirri 

A redhead/carrot top opened the door. "Uh? Kurama? What're ya doin' here so early?" he asked, yawning widely.

The second redhead with much longer tresses looked calm, but grave. "Koenma has been taken hostage. We are to assemble at a forest south of here today."

"Um, like a mission like ten years ago?"

Kurama nodded once and pulled a strand of fiery red hair out of his eyes. "Precisely. Only this time, no Koenma to watch our actions."

"Ah, okay... Em, what about Urameshi?"

"Hiei is notifying him at this moment. Get what you feel you'll need. 'This mission could be the toughest we've ever faced,' to use Kurohi's words."

Kuwabara nodded. "Right! See you then!" He closed the door.

Done with his job, the green-eyed male ran back home to get himself prepared.

tk, tk, tk, tk, tk... 

Brown eyes half closed, the ex-delinquent pulled open the window. He yawned once. "Whas up, Hiei?"

"Get your things and hurry to that large forest south of Kuwabara's home. Kurohi, Angel, and Botan are already waiting for us all there. This is going to be much like one of Koenma's tasks."

Yusuke frowned sleepily. "Fine... I'll be there. Later, Hiei!"

The spiky-haired male flitted off, and the other black-haired man closed the window and began to rummage in his dresser.

"Yu...suke?" mumbled his wife, sitting up. The sheets fell to her waist, but she didn't mind. She was wearing a white satin night gown.

"Yeah?" he asked, throwing some spare clothes into a duffel bag next to the horizontal dresser.

"Where are you going?"

"Koenma's been captured. It's our, the Reikai Tantei-tachi's, job to get him back."

"Nanda do? Do you know what happened?"

"Nope. What I do know, is that we're starting our 'journey' in the forest south from Kuwabara's. Y'know, that forest that has a gate that also goes into the Makai?"

"Yeah. You're going there?"

"Yup." Throwing a few more things into the blue bag, he zipped it up and gave his wife a long kiss, and broke away after a few seconds "I'll see ya when I get back. It might be a while. I'll bring my cell, okay? I'll call when I can if I don't break it fighting a stupid demon."

"Be careful, Yusuke."

He gave her one of his trademark grins, and left, trotting downstairs and exiting the house noisily.

"Mommy, where is Daddy going?"

"Out for a while."

"Will he be back?"

"Yes. Yes, he will. He always comes back."

"Yukina-chan?"

The ice maiden looked up at her towering husband. She gave a small smile. "Don't worry. Just like you, I'll protect Hikina and Kesumi with my life." Just like his honor. I understand him, unlike how he used to be such a puzzle. She stood up from the edge of the bed and embraced him around the middle, resting her head against his lower chest. He knelt down so her head could rest on his shoulder.

"I'll be back soon. That I promise you. We guys jes gotta get Koenma back, and we, too, shall get back. Don't worry."

"I trust you."

Kuwabara hesitated a moment longer before leaving his beloved's embrace. He exited the home, and closed the door softly behind himself.

Where are they? They should be here by now.

"Kurohi!" uttered an alto voice.

The boy turned around, sun hitting the top of his hair, making it glitter a more fine red and gold. "Hai?"

Kurama and Hiei were the first spotted. The one who had spoken was Kurama.

"Well, since we're here, where's everyone else?"

"Guys! Wait up!" hollered a boyish voice.

"Yeah! Some of us snore so loudly we can't hear you guys come to our places quickly!" yelled a higher-toned tenor.

"Kuwabara! Yusuke! So glad you could arrive before we left!" replied Kurohi. "Everyone ready? Despite whenever you guys ever decide to chicken out, I'm not going to!" As he said this, he eyed everyone except for Hiei. "I don't care what's in there. Just as long as we get Koenma outta there." He kept his voice free of emotion despite the rage and fear that churned inside him.

"We will not run, just like you. You can count on us!" retorted Yusuke. This response made Kurohi's face tug upward into a small smile.

"Arigatou, Yusuke. Okay, guys..." he looked at Kuwabara, Yusuke, Hiei and Kurama. "and gal," He gazed at Angel. "and it," He eyed Botan. "Let's go!"

The group trooped into the forest. For the Tsuki Ryu male, it pulled at him unlike anything ever before. Was it his feelings for the god that pulled at him? Was it to seek his heritage, that even he knew next to nothing of?

To the others, it seemed like an ordinary forest that simply lead to the world of demons that they had traveled so many times before.

The boy seemed to be the most eager. Even when going into the heart of enemy territory, he seemed oblivious to the fact. However, a single glance into his eyes told that he was aware of every movement around him. Including the terrain surrounding him.

He glanced everywhere, gaze never lingering on one spot for very long. His red-orange, striped tail swished impatiently, betraying his inextricable emotions and thoughts. His hand clutched the hidden hilt of his Ryuken, or 'Dragonsword' tightly. When he realized what it was he was doing, he forced his arm to relax.

It itched to hold onto anything - anything at all. In frustration, he ran a hand through his hair roughly before trying to hold himself from sprinting or whining, "Are we there yet!" It wouldn't be good for him to whine, especially since he's seventeen ningen years of age.

Kurohi settled for sighing loudly just as he sensed a presence right next to him. He turned his head and looked slightly downward at the person - no - demon, next to him. "Hai, Hiei-sama?"

"Keep up your guard. Once we enter that gate, you'd better be prepared for a few fights. I hope you haven't copied Kurama and my techniques down to the individual movements."

Kurohi stopped walking, letting the others pass him. He stared at Hiei with a slightly confused and pondering gaze, slightly thrown out of proportion by his large, humanoid eyes. Angel stopped behind him and laid a hand on his shoulder. It was taut to the touch. He was seriously thinking about what his trainer had said.

Copied their techniques?

Rosewhip... his speed... the Ryuken...

But he wasn't Kurama, nor Hiei. He just had some of their genetics inside of his own, right? It wasn't his fault, right?

Right?

"Kurohi! C'mon! Don't you wanna get this over with!"

He looked up at Yusuke and nodded once, ignoring his friend. "Yes! Yes!" He dashed up alongside the black-haired, brown-eyed husband, and probably to-be father. "Of course I do! Let me at my brother! I'll give him ANOTHER pounding!"

"Hold the phone! He's your brother we're gonna wind up seriously injuring? Perhaps killing?"

"I really don't care. He hurt me, Kurama, probably Hiei-sama, and he confused me into thinking my dragon was the bad gal! Let! Me! AT! HIM!" He started to lunge.

The other male grasped the seventeen-year-old by the back of the shirt. He "gaaaakkkk"ed and fell backwards right into Yusuke. He thrashed in the grip. "Let me GO! Yusuke! Let me go!" After thrashing for a while, and Yusuke not yielding an inch, the boy went slack into a quiet fit of sobs. Yusuke set himself and the boy down in the grass, letting the younger one lean against him weakly.

"Look, Kurohi. We'll get him back, y'know?"

"...I promised myself..." He fisted his hands into his lap and shook slightly with both rage and depression. "I promised myself," he said a bit louder. "that I'd... I'd PROTECT HIM! YU--SUKE! I FAILED that! How could I ever live with myself if he got hurt!" A certain signature touched him lightly in the face and he growled, standing up. Anger kicked in full force. "Taka..." He dashed in the direction of the bird-dragon, disappearing behind a Makai portal.

He reappeared on the other side of a dreary and dank world. The rest of the group caught up a few seconds later. Tail swishing, it picked up speed to a flit as he honed in onto the signature. They ran through gray tiling of a town of sorts. It was flocked with Youkai. Some eyed the intruders suspiciously while others just plain ignored them.

The lead boy yelped LOUDLY as his tail was caught and he was pulled into the grip of another. Lashing blindly, he managed to hit the kidnapping figure in the nose before flitting out of harm's way. He glared at the Youkai that stood before him, gripping his pointy, bloody nose.

"Don't. Touch. Me," clipped Kurohi.

The Youkai growled back at him. "Shaddup. You don't know who yer talkin' to, kid." He was tall. VERY tall. Kurohi had to crane his neck up, practically hyper-extending his neck just to look the demon in the face.

He must have been over ten feet tall.

Kurohi didn't care one bit. "Look. Leave me alone, and I'll leave ya alone."

"YOU, little boy, need to come with me! My boss awaits your arrival."

"I'm in a hurry. There's a message you can give me?"

The rest of the group caught up at last with the swift Tsuki Ryu.

"Kurohi, you know this guy?"

"No."

"And... we have some bad news..." continued Yusuke.

"I know. I can't sense Taka anymore. She's gone. I can't afford anymore detours, sir," he said to the demon before him. "I'll go to your boss as soon as MY mission is complete. Sayonara!"

Giving him a sideways glance, the genetically altered demon walked past the ten-footer.

Something was up with this guy, and it wasn't his head.

"Kurohi hasn't uttered a word since we set up camp."

"Yeah. Probably upset about Koenma," agreed Kuwabara to his rival, glancing up at the tree said male sat in. He was in an unsettled slumber.

Hiei was sitting on the ground next to Kurama's stomach. The redhead had his hands folded behind his head and was gazing at what little sky was visible through the thick branches high above them.

The fire demon turned his fiery gaze to the brunette for a moment. He couldn't quite compare the sudden loss of someone loved to one who had never loved at the time.

It must be very painful... to have love and then have it ripped away. Jaganshi Hiei turned his gaze back to the redhead. I hope that never happens with Kurama and me... Just how Koenma is to Kurohi, Kurama is to me.

"Hiei?"

He blinked once. "Mm?"

"What is it?"

Knowing full well that Kuwabara and Yusuke were in earshot, he replied telepathically//I don't want to lose you. I was just comparing how Kurohi was to Koenma and how I was to you./

Kurama used a long finger to motion him a bit closer. Hiei settled himself on the grass next to him and fixed his piercing, but otherwise soft gaze onto the emerald-eyed beauty. "I won't let anyone take me from you, Hiei," whispered Kurama.

Their moment was interrupted by movement above. The boy had woken up. His eyes were half closed, his mouth slightly agape. Kurohi blinked once, slowly, catlike. He yawned, and sniffed the air a few times, then flitted to his right, out of sight.

He needed a bath... and he needed to clear his head.

A lithe, nude body slid into the cold water, but it didn't stiffen nor did the owner yelp. He increased his body heat to warm the liquid around him. Then, taking a large breath, he went under. The weak barrier parted for him, sliding against him as he pressed forward.

Koenma... I'll get you back. I promise! I promised I'd protect you! After a moment, he forced himself up to the surface. He gasped softly for air.

His eyes must have betrayed him there. He must have imagined the image of Koenma hovering near him.

It disappeared quickly when he blinked. Kurohi sagged in defeat. I really MUST be going insane... for... the second time? Matte, where did THAT thought come from?

He changed his center of balance and settled for floating on his back.

/You okay, baby/

No one replied to him.

/...Koenma/

Silence.

What happened to him?

Why wouldn't he answer?

Was he okay?

/Koen---ma.../

He received no answer.

He was getting worried.

Was his koibito okay?

Realizing his large eyes were closed, Kurohi opened them. He doggy-paddled over to the shore and used his ki to dry himself. He threw on his clothes, letting his tail poke out of the hole in his pants once more. It swished agitatedly.

He and Koenma had a link. So, why wasn't he answering?

That thought kept him up for half the night.

End Day 11

R&R!

Started 4/14/03, 4:56PM; Finished 4/17/03, 5:11PM


	20. Day 12 Humorous Stroll

10 Years of Waiting  
  
by Kurohi Tatsaki  
  
Day 12 - Humorous Stroll  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own YYH, & never will. Kurohi & Yamiryuinu, Shirokoori, and all the other original characters *I* and Kohaku Frost come up with are property of Beware of Mage & Tsuki Ryu Productions.  
  
Beverly -Yup. Stasis. Koenma can't hear a thing.  
  
Keaira - Kurama is clueless, and Hiei only knows that he's the sole male Tsuki Ryu, but Hiei (suspicious of the boy's powers) never told Kurama. Kurohi never told them anything, as he likes to keep things like this to himself for a while.  
  
anime haiku - Yes, let's hope not. He can become very, very, VERY nasty when crazy... Especially when the third thing he ever clinged to in his life is gone... but for this fic, only temporarily.  
  
~~~~~~POV switch *** passing of time 'thoughts' //telepathy//  
  
Sorry, no quotes and no song lyrics this time... but there's a LOT of humor!  
  
----------------------------------------  
  
"Kurohi, you need to eat."  
  
He glared at the Tsuki Ryu female. He wasn't hungry.  
  
But his stomach gurgled otherwise.  
  
His glare faltered at the noise but he maintained some of it at the noodles offered to his face.  
  
Growling, he snatched the chopsticks and bowl from his friend and scarfed down the meal. He nearly choked once or twice, but managed to save himself. His friend eyed him with amusement.  
  
"Slow down. It's not like we have any leads," she said softly.  
  
"A minute wasted," Kurohi began between swallows. "is a minute closer to death. I know you know what I mean."  
  
"Ah... but you shouldn't talk with your mouth full," the blonde chided.  
  
"Fuck you, but then again, you and I wouldn't, anyway," he clipped.  
  
There was some hesitation between the two.  
  
Kurohi set the bowl on the grass and looked around. He blinked widely and swiveled his head around to see his multi-color-eyed friend. "Hey, where are Hiei-sama, Kurama-san, Yusuke, Kuwabara and Botan-san?  
  
Angel shrugged fished around the inside of her bag for some more food.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
"Mmm... Kurama, you know we're on a mission."  
  
"Yeah. With no leads. Your point?" The fox spirit kissed his way up the Jaganshi's neck. They were both up and out of sight on a high, sturdy branch.  
  
"Kura---ma--..." he whined. "You're gonna make me fall off..."  
  
"I won't let you fall," the redhead replied.  
  
"Kh... Horny fox..." scoffed Hiei.  
  
"Yeah. Your point?"  
  
"Baka," the black-haired male clipped.  
  
Kurama licked Hiei's cheek cutely. Hiei shuddered but frowned slightly. "Kitsune, we're supposed to be looking... for... mmph!" His sentence was cut off as he found himself under one of the redhead's enrapturing kisses.  
  
"Hiei-samaaa! Kurama-saaaaan!"  
  
Said males jumped and peered down the branch of which they sat on, Kurama blushing faintly and Hiei looking quite annoyed. Kurohi, neck craned so far back it was nearly hyper-extended, looked up at them with his large blue eyes. They were full of determination and a "don't you dare mess with me!" look. "Are ya two gonna sit up there all day and make out or are we gonna get to move through here some more before dark?" he complained loudly.  
  
They looked at each other, then back down at the boy. Reluctantly, they slipped down the tree to see the boy eye to eye.  
  
As they descended, however, Kurohi had already gone back to camp.  
  
Kurama embraced his fire demon from behind. He whispered in his ear, "Tonight, Hiei, I'll make up for this."  
  
Hiei nodded slightly and grinned, flashing fang. He chuckled in his low voice. "You'd better."  
  
***  
  
"KUROHI! We've been walking for hours!! How much longer?!" complained the to-be father.  
  
"Don't know; don't ask," clipped the boy. He was unbelievably edgy right now. For reasons unknown, even to himself. Perhaps it was because of all the time they wasted this morning.  
  
"God damn it! Remind me to pummel you into the ground once this is over with!"  
  
"If you can manage to catch me," clipped the crossbreed.  
  
"Hmph!"  
  
"Just shut up and keep walking," sighed Hiei. "Your senseless whining is giving me a headache!!" He clutched his temples for a moment or two.  
  
The redhead, Kurama, walking next to the Jaganshi, tugged playfully on his ponytail. He grinned slightly. 'Ding-dong!'  
  
//Kurama, could you PLEASE stop that?// asked Hiei. His telepathic voice was highly annoyed.  
  
"Why, itoshii?" the emerald-eyed beauty whispered teasingly. (A/N: "itoshii" seems to mean "love", "koi" or of that kinda thing. I'm not sure cuz the word isn't in my dictionary...)  
  
The black-haired male eyed the fox with irritable ruby lenses. "Because I said so."  
  
"Because you said so w-ideii, ideii!!!" wailed Kuwabara, clutching his arm. "Stupid kid!" he snapped at Kurohi, who looked mockingly at his own fist. He looked up at the oaf with that same expression he had so casually given to his right fist.  
  
"Stay out of their business or else you'll pay MY consequences," he replied icily. With a few strides, he made his way back to the front of the group. 'Moron.'  
  
Kurama continued to annoy Hiei for a few minutes longer before stopping when Hiei threatened that he wouldn't let the fox near him for a week. Yusuke folded his arms behind his head while walking. He yawned and then complained again, "Kurohi, how much longer until we set up camp?! I'm gettin' tired!"  
  
No reply. Kurohi continued to march onward for a bit longer. He seemed to fully ignore the man.  
  
"Kurohi--!" he whined. "How. Much. LONGER?!!" 'I can't believe I'm asking a KID for how long we'll be walking around with no leads like this!'  
  
"Not much," he finally said flatly. "I just want to cover as much ground as we possibly can before we stop."  
  
"Then, can't we JUST TAKE A BREAK?!!"  
  
He paused. "I supposed a break is acceptable. Go ahead and stop for a while. I won't proceed much farther without you all."  
  
"Oh, thank GOD! I was almost about to keel over!" exclaimed Botan, who took a water bottle out of his backpack and started guzzling. He soon started hacking, coughing and spluttering the liquid.  
  
Angel eyed him with evident amusement. "Animal," she uttered softly.  
  
"I heard that."  
  
She didn't so much as flinch, as she had intended for her comment to be heard.  
  
Yusuke flopped on his back and was promptly showered by water. His eyes widened the size of saucers. He promptly sat up and glared daggers at the antagonist standing above him. "Kuwabara!!" he screeched.  
  
"Hehehe!" He dashed off and was chased by the delinquent, who clutched his own water bottle.  
  
Taking his lips off the water bottle in his right hand, the reincarnated Youko Kurama eyed the duo with evident amusement. "Still behaving like children even after so long..."  
  
"Yeah. Rather hilarious," Hiei replied with a chuckle. "...then again, rather scary. Imagine Koenma like that!"  
  
"Um, he, always... is like that," uttered the redhead bishonen.  
  
There was a pause of two heartbeats before they started cackling at the image of teen-form Koenma behaving like his toddler self.  
  
"What's so funny, you two?" asked Botan.  
  
"Oh," replied Kurama between chuckles. "I just commented how Yusuke and Kuwabara were behaving even after so long, and Hiei agreed with me, but then said that it would be rather scary, and just imagine if the teen form of Koenma acted like that. Then, I said, that he always was like that." He chuckled again.  
  
"Oh," echoed Botan. He didn't understand the joke.  
  
"You guys done rest..." hollered Kurohi, but he slowly shut up. Yusuke and Kuwabara were still having their water fight. Kurohi frowned. 'Chocolate syrup would be a bit more entertaining, and... what the fuck?! No hentai mind required right now!' "...ing? Yusuke! Kuwabara! We should SAVE that water!! I don't smell water anywhere NEAR here! Let's GO!"  
  
They paused their fight. "Hey! Since when were you OUR boss, kid?!" yelled the oaf.  
  
"I became YOUR boss ever since *I* became Koenma's LOVER! Now let's GO already!!" he retorted. He spun around and started stomping onward.  
  
The duo growled. "We'll finish this at the next lake, Urameshi!"  
  
"Yeah, and *I'll* be the victor!" Yusuke said with a smirk.  
  
"No you won't!"  
  
"Yes, I will!" retorted the delinquent.  
  
"Naw-aw!"  
  
"Uh-uh!"  
  
"Yes-huh!"  
  
"Nuh-uh!"  
  
"Nuh-uh!"  
  
"Yes-... wha?!!"  
  
"Hahaha!" cackled Yusuke. "Y'fell for it! Again!" He grinned and started walking again.  
  
Kuwabara sighed in defeat. "Fuck you..." He, too, followed.  
  
Yusuke chuckled, looking over his shoulder and fixed his large brown eyes on his orange-haired rival. "No thanks. I'm straight."  
  
"WHAAA?!!! That's not what I..." Yusuke started cackling like a maniac and dashed forward, water bottle in hand. "URAMESHI---!!!"  
  
***  
  
The six shirtless guys (yes, even Botan-kun) stood in the shallow end of the lake, lit by the stars and half-moon above. Hiei, Kurama, and Kurohi were on one temporary team, and Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Botan were on the other. They carried their water bottles from before, which were filled to the top.  
  
They would just keep on fighting until they got tired.  
  
Angel took the count from a safer place, away from the water. She leaned on a large, willow-look-alike tree. "...THREE! ...TWO! ...ONE! ...FIGHT!!"  
  
Hiei and the stripy-tailed Kurohi flitted in opposite directions, leaving Kurama to fend for himself for a short period of time. A spray of water came his way, and he flipped gracefully to one side. Kurohi fell from above the oaf and sprayed him from the head down. He shivered and lumbered after his opponent, falling with a big splash into the lake as his foot caught a root. He sat up and sputtered out water. Kurohi laughed loudly with his eyes closed, but that was cut off by a spurt of water to his face.  
  
Yusuke laughed. "Got ya-aaaaah!" He was cut short as a stream of water hit him in the back. He turned around sharply. "Hiei!!" He dashed quickly after the fire demon, but was hit in the head by another splash by the now retreating, laughing redhead.  
  
"HEY! Get BACK here, Kurama!!"  
  
"Nope!" He dashed away. A spurt of water hit the chaser in the back of the neck. He clutched at it in shock and turned around.  
  
"Kurohi, you fuckin' BASTARD!! Get back here!!" He chased the tailed one again, without much luck of seeing him. It was just back when he fought Hiei for the first time, only, they both were about as fast now, but Hiei was, by far, still the quickest of the bunch.  
  
Yeah, it seemed a lot like how quickly he would react during the Dark Tournament when Hiei experimented his sword against the delinquent's abilities... only, now, it was more like he was much slower than he really was.  
  
The dolt, Kuwabara, wasn't having much luck, either, as being the absolute slowest. He kept on aiming at the master thief, but whenever he managed a close, factual shot, Shuuichi always dodged. He never seemed to have a pattern, either. Then again, like all strategists, one should never leave a trail.  
  
And that's precisely what the fox did. Graceful actions were always uncharted in duplication, as none of his angles in dodging repeated in precise points. The only thing that remained the same was the timing of his dodges.  
  
While he was caught off guard, he heard, "Kuwabara! Dodge!!"  
  
Rolling to the side, he saw a stream of water hiss past his ear and glimpsed Botan shoot Kurohi with at least two shots. He sputtered out the water and fled for a moment before coming up above the female-turned-male and emptying his whole stock of water onto his head.  
  
"BAKA! Take th... huh?"  
  
He wasn't there anymore. Botan blinked his slanted purple eyes at the vacated air that the hybrid demon had occupied a half-second before.  
  
'Where'd he go?' he thought with concern for his own hide. He turned to Kazuma, who was just now picking himself up off the tall grass. "You okay, Kuwabara?"  
  
"Yeah. Thanks for the warning."  
  
He gave the baffoon the thumbs-up. "No prob! Now, let's get those three, shall we?"  
  
"Yeah! Just let me replenish my weapon! Hehehe!" He lumbered off.  
  
Botan sweat-dropped and chuckled nervously to himself. He blinked twice at the odd sight, but said nothing at all.  
  
"Getting tired, Botan?" asked Angel from somewhere in the shadows.  
  
"Maybe a little," he replied. "That walk took a lot out of me."  
  
"I can agree. You want to call it quits?"  
  
The drenched ferryman to the River Styx nodded once. "Yeah. I have a sleeping bag and some dry clothes callin' my name."  
  
~~~~~~  
  
Hiei flitted up into a tree and eyed Kurama as he, too, jumped up.  
  
They were both perfectly dry.  
  
"I forgot how fun it was to beat those three."  
  
The fire demon used his Jagan Eye to see who was still playing. "Botan stopped playing," he told his koibito. "Damn. I was really looking forward to soaking him more."  
  
"Already gotten used to Botan being a male, now?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
"So, you want to stop?"  
  
"Nah. We still need to finish off Kuwabara and Yusuke."  
  
"Then what after that? You want to go for a free-for-all against me and Kurohi, assuming we're still playing after we beat those other two?"  
  
"You forget, that I joined up with you to not have to fight you myself?"  
  
"No, I haven't. However, it's not like we're going to start killing each other."  
  
"Point taken, but even I need my rest. We'll just beat those two and end the game."  
  
Kurama nodded.  
  
***  
  
It wasn't long until Yusuke and Kuwabara gave up. They couldn't hit anyone, anyway.  
  
Kurohi had curled up against the trunk of a tree a bit far from the rest of the group.  
  
Hiei and Kurama had occupied a secluded place elsewhere.  
  
Kuwabara, Yusuke, and Botan were crashed by the fire.  
  
Angel was keeping watch.  
  
Nothing disturbed their slumber tonight.  
  
End Day 12  
  
Sorry it took me so long, guys! I had schoolwork I had to do all week! Oh well, at least I get out of school on the 23rd of this month! I'll have PLENTY of time to update often at that time!  
  
I figured we needed some humor to spice up this otherwise boring travel through the Makai forest. As far as I've seen, the votes go as follow:  
  
Botan with Angel as a girl: 2 votes  
  
Botan with Angel as a guy: 1 vote  
  
There's still time to vote, but this is just for fun! I plan on having two separate paths, anyway:  
  
Botan being a guy with Angel = there's no more cure to the spell, they're lovers, and they have a kid  
  
Botan being a girl with Angel = the cure is there and they're lovers, but no kid  
  
The first one I will be developing will be the first option. I will be aided by Kohaku Frost.  
  
I still need questions for the second part of the interview!  
  
R&R!!  
  
Started 4/18/03, 9:02PM; Finished 5/5/03, 5:29PM 


	21. Day 13 Reminiscing

10 Years of Waiting

by Kurohi Tatsaki

Day 13 - Reminiscing

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH, & never will. Kurohi, Yamiryuinu, Shirokoori, and all the other original characters I and Kohaku Frost come up with are property of Beware of Mage & Tsuki Ryu Productions. Use our characters without permission and we will be pissed. Ask first; I don't think I need to tell anyone how to contact me. After all, my e-mail shows up in my bio.

Did you know my e-mail address came from when I was in a Legend of Dragoon phase?

Keaira - Yusuke and Kuwabara do NOT know about Hiei and Kurama's relationship. Kuwabara is still just as clueless as he was when he didn't know that Yukina was Hiei's sister, but Yusuke has an idea, but he just doesn't portray this. If he did, he thinks Hiei might get pissed and hack off his head... Oo

Scarby - Well, how about now? '

anime haiku - I think you might like this one, too. My only comments about this chapter is: "Thank GOD for Copy 'n' Paste"... Heh, you thought I'd say, "Cut 'n' Paste, huh?" o

I get out of school in TWO WEEKS! Yaaaaaaaaaaay! Can't wait for May 23!

Anyway, this is mostly flashback.

(thoughts of the reflecting character in a flashback)

He felt he was floating in a sea of nothingness. He couldn't hear, see, smell, or even touch anything. However, he could think... sort of. Images and pictures drifted into and faded out of his mind at their own free will. The god could hardly focus on a solitary image before it went away, only to be replaced by another.

After an eternity of waiting, another, more recent image came into his mind.

Yes, a blue dragon had come into his office, snatching him away while he was in shock.

Another image came to mind. He looked like a mere, wide-blue-eyed boy at first glance. He was fairly wise, and kinda pessimistic while believing the false.

Those eyes, hardened by pain, and yet also softened by that same element, had enraptured him at a gradual rate.

...So beautiful...

He vaguely remembered the carnival. He, Koenma, had asked to go to one of the rides.

The boy, whose name he could not remember, had merely smiled softly and offered him the money to go on. He didn't go on, himself, though. The feminine-seeming boy had simply watched him, that small smile still plastered on his face. His eyes were half-lidded, as if tired of seeing the ride move around in jerky, up and down motions.

After Koenma had recovered from the nauseating ride, the light brown-haired male offered to go onto a calmer ride. Supposedly, fast rides such as the one the god had been on made him so queasy, they would have had to turn in early. He hadn't wanted to spoil the other guy's fun.

The closest calm ride had been the Ferris wheel.

The robed Koenma seemed a bit iffy at first, but the other guy seemed almost eager to go on.

The god remembered his exact, softly said words.

"Saa, Koenma-sama... Onegai? Just this one ride?"

Though slightly bothered, he had agreed to let HIM go on, but he didn't want to go on, too.

"Demo, don't you want to see something I can never show you myself?"

"You're a demon, are you not? Cannot you fly?"

He shook his head, spikes of hair swishing gently, side to side, at the movement. "I wasn't born to fly," he said almost sadly. "This is the next best thing to running quickly."

Without a word, the gold-eyed one conceded and they both got on.

The boy was giggling all the way up. "This is so--- coool!"

Koenma snorted, holding back his own laughter.

"Just look! You can see so much..." He leaned forward slightly, as if to peek over the horizon. He seemed to want to see more than what he could. "Almost as if you're really flying, you know? Suteki da ne...?"

Koenma nodded once. "Hai... Ja, Kurohi, what do you plan to do about that case? I hate to bother you, but..."

His eyes grew clouded. "I have my links. So don't worry about it. Can we PLEASE not talk about work?" The man named Kurohi turned his head around, spikes of hair brushing unintentionally against the previously pacifier-mouthed Enma Jr's cheek.

The boy then paused. Koenma realized how close they were. There was also no room to move over, either... unless a lap counted. He felt the boy's warm breath whispering against his face. He smelled of some sort of wild flower mixed with pine and his own, unique scent.

His eyes dipped halfway closed. He breathed deeply, as if seeking some sort of... control. He stayed like that a moment, a shade in his eyes flickering in and out of sight. Finally, with a shudder, he turned back around.

The ride ended.

And so did their trip.

The memory slid out of focus, and another one came in.

Kurohi was drenched to the bone, shivering, and seemingly asleep in the most dark, most hidden corner of his office. "Kurohi, what are you doing here?"

The boy blinked and gasped softly. The gasp turned into a startled, low growl. His dragon hirui-seki stone pendant flashed rapidly. It was bright enough to be seen through his shirt.

Not to mention that if he looked, he could glimpse the boy's flesh behind the shirt.

"Sleeping," he replied tiredly.

"In here on the floor with wet clothes?" asked Koenma, pacifier still in his mouth.

"This place was closest, sir. I didn't want to bother you."

Koenma blinked. "Ah, so it WAS you that I saw come in. For a moment, I thought you were Hiei. After all, you both share the same speed."

He was silent. He closed his eyes, but it was very visible that he was conscious. He finally spoke after a while. "Why... why do you love Botan?"

Koenma frowned. "I... Well, I've known her a long, long, looonng time."

"That makes no sense, sir." He opened his eyes and stared at the god who, right now, looked like an infant. His gaze was soft and fatigued.

"How so?" the god was confused at the statement.

"Just because you've known someone for a long time, doesn't always mean that you fall in love with them. Ever heard of /love at first sight?" he asked coldly. The boy sneezed and looked away, shaking because of the cold he felt. "...y'know, I love you..." he murmured unexpectedly.

"You... you do?"

"Yes," he replied with a nod. "Despite the fact I'm not eternal. But, I AM a Dragon Youkai... Y'know, I've lasted a long, long time."

"How long?"

"Don't know." His heart pounded faster, and he seemed okay, physically. There was a pause. Koenma regarded his friend with a shadowed, golden gaze. "Sir?" asked the boy suddenly.

"Em?" He blinked.

"If... I were eternal, would you... love me?"

Koenma couldn't answer. He put himself into the teen form and thought a moment after sitting down next to and against the boy. He could easily hear the boy's quick, demonic heartbeat, and could see it with the stone around his neck and the one in his own pocket. He pulled it out.

"You cried, didn't you?" he asked, avoiding the question. "Isn't that stone around your neck also one of your tears?

He looked back at the god and nodded vaguely. "I think so... but I don't remember crying before recently and having it accumulate to such a massive size." He had spoken so softly, it created goose-bumps along the god's arms.

(...This memory...

(...Kurohi...)

"So, please tell me! I love you, I want you and..." He stopped, a deep red coloring his face. He closed his eyes a moment and looked away, staring at his blue-shoed feet. "I... I'll respect your decision that you want to wed Botan... but..." He shook his head. "Wait, there are no /buts, are there?"

He stood up and braced himself against the wall. He closed his eyes for a moment, though Koenma couldn't see it. With a soft cry, fell to the ground. His eyes were closed.

He looked dead, skin rather pale.

"K-Kurohi-chan! D-daijobu ka!" the god stammered frantically. He bent down, laid his hands onto the boy's shoulders, and flipped him over onto his back. His cream-colored hand touched his chest and lifted the pendant up, holding the pulsing figure in his hand. Only one thought about it came to his mind...

The crying baby dragon pendant was... warm.

Very warm...

Checking the pulsing, it seemed fine, and he set it back down. The boy opened his dark blue eyes and blinked, panting softly for a moment, the breath cascading across the gold-eyed boy's face. He slowly sat up and gazed at Koenma with confusion and thoughtfulness.

His own gold eyes glittered with concern, worry and fear. "K...Kurohi-chan, daijobu ka?"

"H-hai..." Something seemed to settle in his mind. "Matte... you said/Kurohi-chan/..."

Koenma was becoming uncomfortable. "Em, yeah, doshite?"

"Since you don't like me like that," he replied coldly. "then don't say /-chan/. Understood?"

"Yes, Kurohi, I understand." Inside, he was starting to question his devotion to Botan. Did he really love that girl?

"Good," he retorted even more coldly, sadness thick in his voice. He leaned against the wall, hands splayed limply outward. He closed his eyes.

"Kurohi?"

"Mmm?" Kurohi opened his eyes halfway. They were watery. He closed his eyes again and pushed himself away from the wall, moving toward the middle of the room. His hand was clenched near his side.

He was still dripping water all over the floor. It fell with the slowness of blood. The tears fell off his cheeks and clung to the jawbone in one futile attempt to remain with their master.

"You were crying... because I am engaged to Botan?"

The boy nodded; three stones fell to the floor, echoing like jewelry when they connected.

(Kurohi... you cried...)

A few more tears escaped the boy's eyes, sliding down his face, and the instant that they let go of their hold, a few more hirui-seki stones connected with the floor. His body shook with unvoiced sobs as he stood strong in the middle of the room. The god embraced the weeping boy from behind, locking his hands near the flat stomach, and rested his head on the slightly shorter boy's shoulder. A small tremor went through the embraced one's body, and he let his eyes seek the "intruder".

Blue met gold with orangy-brown flecks.

Blue eyes widened in surprise, disbelief and various other emotions evident in their depths.

Caught up in those eyes, his tongue poked out of his mouth and reversed the path of the mystical tears. Kurohi blinked at this odd behavior as he felt the warm, wet object glide gently against his already moist flesh. He sighed in conscious contentment that someone would care to comfort him when he cried, but he spoke a different tune.

"Though I don't care what the hell Botan thinks, you'd better get away from me before you get in trouble. You are, after all, bound to the oar-rider. But, just do me one thing, please..."

"What?" asked that male elegance.

"Think over your decision with Botan. Is she really the right one? Because the one I love stands before me, and, to tell the truth, I'd do anything for you..."

The memory slid out of focus again.

A recollection of their lovemaking entered his mind. Hah! "Virgin" his ass! Wait, isn't that what the "little one" did to him?

Then again, he wasn't at ALL "little"...

The bit of information left him, leaving him even more empty and confused than he'd ever been.

Without Kurohi, Koenma felt so... alone.

He felt so... cold.

Where was he?

Why couldn't he...

Kurohi blinked his large eyes. Blips of memory flashed through his mind, incoherent at first, but gradually melting into one entity...

Koenma.

/I'll get you back! I swear it/ "I swear it..." he uttered.

"Talking to yourself, again, Kurohi?" asked Hiei, perched on a branch above him.

The boy blinked, but kept his gaze fixed on the tree in front of him. Nightly bugs chirped and whistled in the background. The green underbrush obscured all sight in a matter of meters in every direction.

"Yeah... I guess..." He talked with evident depression.

"It's my shift next. I suggest you rest your mind so you don't go insane. Don't think about anything for a while. It might help."

"Why would ya wanna give ME advice, anyway?" he asked.

As Hiei shifted to a comfortable position on the tree branch, he regarded his pupil with almond-shaped red eyes. The boy refused to meet his stare. "You're my best and only student. You've learned all the things I've taught you much faster than when I, myself, ever learned them. As much as I'd normally regret to admit, you might just surpass me in the skills of sword."

"Thank you... Hiei-sama."

"Cut it out with the /-sama/. I am, and always will be/Hiei, Kurohi."

"Hmm..."

"What now?" he asked with mild exasperation.

"It's just... you never wanted me to address you without the title, you know?"

"I emphasized it because you were an amateur. Now that you are not, you do not have to use that stupid title."

"Ah. Okay. Okay, then."

A few minutes passed, and Hiei took his shift. Kurohi left the area, saying he had to do something nearby.

Kurama turned his green eyes skyward, and eyed Hiei sleepily from his position on the ground. "You want me to waaaaaah..." That last word of his was interrupted by a wide yawn.

Hiei rolled his eyes. "I said, I want you to keep an eye on Kurohi. Something in his scent hasn't been quite right since the night before. I didn't want to bother you, but now... it's hard to miss."

The fox nodded once. "Sure. I'll go chehhhh...ck on him" The fire demon rolled his eyes again, causing his koibito to grin sleepily. "That look makes you quite humorous, y'know?"

The demon blinked at the five-hundred-year-old fox. "Huh?"

"Never mind. I'll go check on him."

Standing up, the fox brushed gracefully past the half-koorime, and wandered somewhere south of the camp. After a few minutes, he considered calling the boy's name, when he came upon a clearing.

The boy was practicing with his sword. He flitted from one part of the clearing to another, then started running among the circle of trees quickly enough to create the illusion that there were two of him. "Jaou ensatsu...shinseihi-KEN!" His sword erupted into white flames, and he slashed at an invisible opponent. Bits of flame spread everywhere, but the instant they touched anything, the object that was stroked seemed to grow stronger.

The flames disappeared, and he sheathed his sword.

He's been giving off so much energy, I'm surprised he hasn't been discovered... What does he think he's doing? "Kurohi!"

He turned to the fox. His eyes betrayed how startled he felt inside. "Em?"

"What are you doing?"

"Training."

"Why so late, then?"

"I'm most mentally active," he replied, simply.

Hesitation.

"Why are you up, then?" His emphasis on "you" was light.

"Hiei was concerned and wanted me to check on you since it was his guard shift." Kurama smiled slightly. "I didn't expect you to be out here, far from the group, and training on your own... could I be of any assistance?" he asked politely. "That walk has woken me up."

"Ah, I was just going to head back."

"Oh, okay." He seemed disappointed.

"Lead the way, would you?" asked the boy.

Kurama nodded and started going back the way he came.

The boy started to follow, stopped, and turned back around to view where he had been. His passive face didn't flinch or waver as the disappointment of not being able to complete what he had intended to do settled inside his soul.

So close to learning that technique... I hope it can save Koenma once I learn it...

They call it... Kaizer Yowaihaiiro.

End Day 13

R&R!

saa come on

suteki da ne isn't it beautiful/wonderful

shinsei pure/holy

Hey, what does "jaou ensatsu" mean? I've heard Hiei say, "Jaou ensatsu... KOKURYUHAA!" and "Jaou ensatsu ken!"... so, what does it mean? It says nothing in my dictionary...

It's getting harder to come up with ideas... Me an' Kohaku Frost have a humorous chapter in mind right after Kurohi rescues Koenma, but...

Anyway, the votes stand like this:

Botan as guy: 2

Botan as gal: 2

Started 5/8/03, 4:37PM; Finished 5/9/03, 8:13PM


	22. A Brief Interview, Hosted By Yusuke Uram...

10 Years of Waiting  
  
by Kurohi Tatsaki  
  
A Brief Interview, Hosted by Yusuke Urameshi!  
  
Part 2  
  
***************************************  
  
Yusuke *back with the recorder*: "We're back with the interviewing of Kurohi and perhaps Angel this time! Kurohi, how many times have you gone insane?" (courtesy of anime haiku)  
  
Kurohi: "Once. When I didn't understand what was going on, what was happening to my body... in that fuckin' lab! It was quickly removed when I saw the 'Nice One'. I still don't know who he is. I used to call him... 'daddy' though. I might recall something at another time. I might go insane a second time if I realize something my mind isn't prepared to handle. Let's just hope that I don't kill any of my friends... Yes, not a nice thought. I hope they don't burn to death. Then again, Hiei's fire demon. He won't burn by my A-Class skills... But *you* might."  
  
Yusuke *light panic*: "Eh, eh, eh... Anyway, what's the purpose of that necklace you wear, and why does it change temperature? It gives me the creeps..." (Suggested by: Scarby)  
  
Kurohi: "Um, well... I'm certain you've noticed that it's linked directly *to* me. Kinda hard to explain in-depth, but I'll try... emm... Oh! It's kinda like that blue thing that sits on your head... It's name is Puu, right?"  
  
Puu *sitting on Yusuke head*: "Puuu~!!  
  
Yusuke *turns his eyes upward a bit to look at the animal on his head. thinking*: 'Where'd *you* come from? I thought I left you with Keiko...'  
  
Kurohi: "Well, my dragon pendant is a lot like that... like your spirit beast. However, it's completely one-sided, while yours is like a double- edged sword. Any pain I feel is only SHOWN through the pendant, but since it's not 'living', it doesn't feel pain. Oh, it's kinda like having a heart monitor on ya even though you're well. That's what its flashing is in sync with. Kinda freaky, but I got used to it, eventually. Though I'd get kinda shy because of it, so I normally hide it under my shirt. Besides that, the dragon holding the stone is indestructible, but the stone itself is very fragile.  
  
"You probably wonder why I don't take it off? It won't COME off. However, legend has it that if it's shattered, I'm gonna croak.  
  
"Also, to answer why it changes temperature, it doesn't that very often. Normally, its warm, when I'm just fine, but when I'm pissed or upset, it gets REALLY cold. Brrr... When I'm hurt, aroused, or excited by anything, it gets really warm, and when I'm sick, I have to be careful not to burn myself on it..."  
  
Yusuke: "Oh, um, okay, Kohaku Frost asks, 'What is going to happen between Angel and Botan?"  
  
Kurohi ~_^: "Ah... well, Kohaku Frost HAS told me that Angel and Botan WON'T have a kid either way... but, I'm unsure anyway. After all, I'm NOT the author. I'm just the character named AFTER the author."  
  
KT: "Well, I'll take that one... Usually, I just let things come as I type... But I plan on having them get together in BOTH scenarios."  
  
KF: "BUT THEY ARE *NOT* GONNNA HAVA KID!!!!" *starts emitting black flames from wings*  
  
KT O_o *sweat-drop*: "Uhh......... I think I already said that?"  
  
KF: "I'm JUST making sure... that you are aware that should any scenarios with them having kids appear, you will be tried under... PENALTY OF *DEATH*!!!!!!!!!"  
  
KT *dodges black flames*: "SHIT! Settle down!! I'm yer friend, right?!!!! R- right? RIGHT?!!!!!! EEEEP!!!"  
  
Yusuke *also dodging black flames. Puu's clinging onto his other self's head for dear life!*: "You think we should intervene, Puu?"  
  
Puu O_O' *frantically negating intervention: "PUUUUUUU-------!!!"  
  
*Kurama and Hiei come into the room*  
  
Kurama: "What's going on in here?!"  
  
Hiei: *staring*  
  
*KT and KF stop fighting*  
  
KF: "Kurama! I'm sorry! I didn't mean ta..."  
  
KT *blinking*: "KURAMA BELONGS TO *HIEI*, you baka saru!!" ("baka saru" means "stupid monkey")  
  
KF: "I am NOT a stupid monkey!! I'm a blonde bimbo!!"  
  
KT: "Hmph. Don'na." ("Don'na" means "whatever")  
  
*Hiei and Kurama blink once or so*  
  
Hiei: "I like her!" *points to KT while eating sweet snow* "Look! She's wearing a black dragon on a gray shirt! BLACK! Kuroi!" ("Kuroi" means "black")  
  
KT: "Haha! Jaou... ensatsu..." 'One more word, and...'  
  
KF: "What about me?!" *notices a black dragon near KT* "Don't you 'one word' me, you long-haired baka!"  
  
Kurama: "She's the one writing this, but then again, she HAS to give YOU credit because you're helping! ^_^ KT told me once you had some roses?" *looking hopeful*  
  
*KT stops casting the Black Dragon Wave (aka Jaou Ensatsu Kokuryuhaa) and glares at Kurama, but bites back a comment because Hiei's giving her the blackest look!*  
  
KF: "Maybe you'd like to come over to my rose garden sometime and help me plant some nice blue ones?"  
  
Kurama: "I was thinking more on the lines of 'white'."  
  
KF: *looks adoringly at Kurama* 'Watashi no kokoro anata-tachi no mono!' ("Watashi no kokoro anata-tachi no mono" should mean "my heart is yours", but then again, my Japanese is still rookie.)  
  
Yusuke: "I need to ask another question! You four need to get the f*** outta here unless YOU GUYS AND GALS have questions!"  
  
Kurama: "You know I can read minds, Kohaku~." //I feel the same about you.//  
  
Hiei: //I have the Jagan, Kurama! I don't believe you!!! HOW CAN YOU PICK THIS **WENCH** OVER **ME**?!!//  
  
Kurama *holding head due to the loud voice*: "Well, she's a brilliant author, pretty, smart..."  
  
Hiei: 'I am SO outta here!' *flits out of the room*  
  
*Kurama's still rattling off points*  
  
Yusuke: "Ah, Kurohi, you still awake?"  
  
Kurohi *seems to have fallen asleep*: "Waaa... Zzzzzzzzzzzz...... Koenma- ma... Zzzz... luv ya..." *falls out of his chair, but still doesn't wake up*  
  
KT & KF: "KAWAII!"  
  
*Kurama finally realizes Hiei left and went to go find him, but throws a longing look at KF before he leaves*  
  
Yusuke: "Seems he's fallen asleep. Watch for Part 3!"  
  
Puu: "PUUUU~~!" *blinks big eyes*  
  
KT & KF: "KAWAII!!" 


	23. Day 14a Red Pinkie String?

10 Years of Waiting  
  
by Kurohi Tatsaki  
  
Day 14a - Red Pinkie String?  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own YYH, & never will. Kurohi, Yamiryuinu, Shirokoori, and all the other original characters *I* and Kohaku Frost come up with are property of Beware of Mage & Tsuki Ryu Productions. Use our characters without permission and we will be pissed. Ask first; I don't think I need to tell anyone how to contact me. After all, my e-mail shows up in my bio.  
  
New character introduction. I hope you like her!  
  
Kage Kitsune - Glad you love my story, fox! ^_^  
  
Hiei obsessed - Here's more! After all, you're not the ONLY one obsessed with Hiei! I know where to find his entire past, now, too! I can't remember the exact URL, but just go to google and type in "Hiei's Past". Also, you might want to include: "Episode 99" or "Episode 100" because those are the episodes where, in detail, you can read about the past of Hiei.  
  
See more of my notes at the bottom.  
  
--------------------------------  
  
"Can we trust her?" Kurohi  
  
Why does the gushing forth of courage and power  
  
Unexpectedly ride past even utterly sorrowful times  
  
Perhaps because of the bitterness  
  
Utterly kind people had unexpectedly shown  
  
Thank you very much!  
  
(Smile Bomb, Mawatari Matsuko)  
  
--------------------------------  
  
"Why would Master want Lord Koenma-sama?" asked the blue dragon. It was cool outside, and her master liked the coolness of the air. Cold and not humid, was his personal preference.  
  
"As bait for my half-brother. I've told you that before; why would I have to tell you that a second time?"  
  
"Because I can't remember half the stuff you tell me?" she ask-said, large wings folded behind her scaly back. She was in a cheerful mood.  
  
"Hmph. You're impossible. You know that?"  
  
She ignored the question. "Why do you want to bait your half- brother?"  
  
He grinned wickedly, flashing fangs. "The answer is simple. To crush him for being the legendary male Tsuki Ryu."  
  
"Oh, the one that was revolted so? I almost feel bad for him. Almost."  
  
He ruffled the dragon's soft feathers on her head affectionately. "Well, that's what I like about you. You come around to scare me and then surprise me yet again! I think I'm starting to rub off on you!"  
  
"I am honored..."  
  
"Furthermore, check on that half-wit of a ruler for me, would you?" he asked, beaming a little. However, not a smile graced his features. "I wouldn't want the bait to be dead... yet."  
  
She nodded. "Yes, Sir!" She flapped off to the dragon cell chambers.  
  
She turned several corners, and then descended down a stair well. She landed on the cold ground and stepped up to the chamber the god was imprisoned.  
  
His baby-like features were creased in the anger he had felt a while ago. Other than that, he seemed okay. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.  
  
Taka couldn't guess why he would fall in love with that damn Tsuki Ryu. Perhaps, she didn't want to, either.  
  
"What do you see in that boy?" she asked the sleeping god. "He is nothing more than an urchin trapped in a world of hatred. He blocks what he dislikes with his opponents' own coldness, and contains a resolve to complete what he starts even more than I have ever seen in any human, demon... or god. Why do you insist on loving and protecting him? What has he ever done for you?"  
  
As expected, the god gave no outward answer, and stayed, motionless, in the cell.  
  
Taka blinked her eyes, highly confused, but not at the god. Oh, no. She was confused at something she had never fathomed in her life.  
  
Even more so, she wanted to protect her master.  
  
She would have to be humanoid for him to love her...  
  
~~~~~~  
  
'Taka dawdles...... What could have held her up so? She was created to obey my beck and call. Whatever could occupy her attention so long?  
  
'Furthermore, the effects of killing that god before my half- brother's eyes will pay off in the end of having to hold onto such scum. I've wanted to for a long time. This pitiful age isn't fit for such a slacker, anyway.'  
  
A few gentle gusts of wind brushed against his face. He pulled back his bangs uselessly behind his ears and closed his eyes as they flew back into place, sighing into that cool air.  
  
'...This breeze is rather nice... This should happen more often...'  
  
"Master! I'm back!"  
  
He sighed again. This time, it was more of the exasperated sort. He turned his attention away from the cool air and sought his dragon's eyes. The aged yellowish orbs blinked once at his gaze, but otherwise did not flinch.  
  
"Koenma's condition is stable. However, it could hang in the balance at any moment."  
  
"Yes... that is what to be expected. Taka, keep an eye on him every few hours. I don't want him to die just yet. We must have those baka ningen- tachi suffer for coming after me in response to me. Then again, I expected them to do so, demo don'na. Do your stuff. Dismissed." He waved her off, and turned his attention back to the skies.  
  
The dragon watched him a moment longer. His golden eyes flickered every now and then as he blinked. His robes slid silently across his body with every movement, however minuscule. His hair, spiked behind him, waved gently against his neck with the moving air.  
  
"I thought I told you, you were dismissed?! Get the fuck outta here, damn bird!!"  
  
She flapped off. 'Bakayaro...'  
  
~~~~~~  
  
"Kurohi, we haven't found leads! How the hell do you know where we're going?!"  
  
He turned his head slightly to the present-ex-delinquent, still marching on, feet making no sound against the rough grass. "Trust me. I know where I'm going."  
  
"Did you ever go to that place before?" asked Kurama.  
  
"No. I have never been there and have no idea what it looks like," he replied, turning his head to his left, toward the slender beauty. He eyed him with that large, innocent but tainted blue gaze.  
  
"Then how..." started Kurama.  
  
"Hey!" interrupted Kuwabara. "Is it like my Red Pinkie String I had with Yukina??"  
  
Hiei had to suppress the urge to kill the baka for mentioning his sister.  
  
The oaf, however, knew that they were siblings.  
  
Kurohi turned his whole body around to eye the six-foot-tall man and chuckled. "Could you explain?"  
  
"Well, the instant I laid eyes on her, I was attached to her and knew exactly where to go even though I hadn't a clue where she really was. I remember the whole thing as if it were yesterday..." He sighed at the memory.  
  
The boy nodded. "Excellent comparison," he said in his soft voice. It was filled with a little bit of pep as he spoke now. "I'd say your theory compared to mine, but not in how it appeared, is completely correct."  
  
"Oh? Then what does yours look like? Your connection, I mean?"  
  
"Call me crazy, but..." he touched his collarbone with his delicate fingertips, brushing against the untainted, fluffy-soft skin. "it's like a... a golden thread connected us at the heart. I have... a bad feeling about this, though..."  
  
"Uh? Why would you?" asked Mr. Sensitive. (A/N: Remember in the Gate of Betrayal? Yusuke calls Kuwabara this.)  
  
"Yes, if you're connected like that why would it be bad?" asked Botan, brushing his blue bangs out of his face.  
  
Angel merely stared.  
  
He fell silent. Turning away, he plainly avoided the question. If they ever found out how he sometimes felt on the verge of collapse... they might not trust him to fight anything off...  
  
"Well?!"  
  
The boy stopped walking, and turned to his friends. They, too, had stopped. His gaze flicked from one face to another, taking in their worn appearances. He closed his eyes and opened them tiredly, hoping, and yet not, to portray through his eyes what he felt on the inside as the pain gnawed at him.  
  
They seemed to mistake this for heartbreak.  
  
"Don't worry about it. He's fine. We wouldn't be able to sense his spirit if he were dead, right?"  
  
The boy didn't answer.  
  
"Right?!"  
  
The group remained silent. Botan looked at his shoes, not trusting himself to eye Angel, for fear of an unwanted extra target should they ever have to fight. Yusuke looked just about ready to boil over. His teeth were grit and he had to clench his knuckles to keep from screaming. He contemplated marching on to ease his state of mind. However, he decided to pay attention to everyone to see how the group reacted.  
  
Hiei watched their leader with hidden amusement; however, Kurohi's lack of a reply bothered him greatly. Kurohi never stayed silent this long when proposed with a question, as he never seemed to find an excuse about not answering. Hell, he had even asked the boy what he felt about the training. He had merely shrugged and replied that it was a bit boring, as the fire demon had been holding back his energies. One blast from a "Jaou Ensatsu Regoku Shou" (A/N: A green flame attack from Hiei's fists) knocked him flat off his feet, panting for air. His tail had even gone limp. After he had recovered halfway, he had yelled giddily, flopped on the ground, "YOU GOTTA TEACH ME THAAa." and he had promptly fallen asleep.  
  
Kurama watched Hiei's face flash from a monotonous boredom to a flicker of amusement before it vanished. He probably had thought of something interesting, but he wouldn't pry the demon of something he wasn't interested in revealing. He, after all, had his reasons for keeping quiet. Though he never really knew that much into his demon's past, he knew it was rather troubling.  
  
That alone kept him from prying.  
  
Angel's mind was all but blank. Her mystical eyes scanned the surroundings, and they darted to one side and she gave a visible start as something silver lunged at her. It tackled her to the ground, and yelled a giddy, happy-go-lucky, "GOTCHA!! I finally found you, Angel-cha-----n!!"  
  
When the world stopped spinning, she realized belatedly that her friend was still pinning her to the ground. Hiei had his hand on the hilt of his sword, and Kurama's fists were clenched tightly.  
  
Kurohi, Yusuke, Botan and Kuwabara looked amused, their guard completely dropped.  
  
"Angel-chan? Why don't you say anything?" asked the creature. Her bright, light-blue eyes glowed at her.  
  
She recovered her dignity, somewhat. "Get off me."  
  
The creature scrambled off, and stood on her two booted legs. A long silver tail wagged left and right like a dog's. Her long, rabbit-like ears twitched once or twice as she craned her neck up at her friend. "Long time no see, nevertheless." She had an amicable façade.  
  
"Can we trust her?" asked Kurohi. He blinked widely, and the girl mimicked the expression.  
  
The creature's face was still in that cocky grin. Her silver hair rested against her shoulders, and a dark mark from the back of her right hand disappeared into her shirt and appeared on the back of her other hand. She was no taller than Hiei. The woman's face was heart-shaped and, according to Botan, she had a nice bust. Nothing NEAR comparison to Angel, though.  
  
"'Can we trust her?'" she echoed in her childish voice. "Of course you can trust me! I'm Angel-chan's best friend, Azura!"  
  
End Day 14's afternoon.  
  
R&R!!  
  
don'na = whatever  
  
You know when Hiei said last chapter, "You've learned all the things I've taught you much faster than when I, myself, ever learned them."? Well, turns out Hiei became an A-Class demon (before the Jagan Eye) from about Age 1 to Age 5 (Yes, imagine Hiei as a toddler carrying his normal-sized Katana!)  
  
Kurohi learned similar techniques in 5 months!  
  
And to think I never knew how long it took Hiei to learn how to fight until I searched farther about his past!  
  
The votes stand like this:  
  
Botan as guy: 3  
  
Botan as gal: 2  
  
Started 5/14/03, 4:48PM; Finished 5/15/03, 10:22PM 


	24. Day 14b Super Dragons

10 Years of Waiting  
  
by Kurohi Tatsaki  
  
Day 14b - Super Dragons  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own YYH, & never will. Kurohi, Yamiryuinu, Shirokoori, and all the other original characters *I* and Kohaku Frost come up with are property of Beware of Mage & Tsuki Ryu Productions. Use our characters without permission and we will be pissed. Ask first; I don't think I need to tell anyone how to contact me. After all, my e-mail shows up in my bio.  
  
Wow... day-wise, I'm about halfway done... Hey, if I leave anything open enough, anyone want me to do a sequel? I also have, as of 5/19/03, four more days left of school! Yay! I'm glad they didn't add any days because of that whole snow-week!  
  
Life... is good! ^_^  
  
Something I realized I wrote earlier... Kurohi trained with Hiei for five years... but then I turned around and said he actually "trained" for five months... So, I think I'll keep all that as it is and clear some stuff up in a few chapters or so. ...I guess I'm the only one that noticed this.  
  
Oh, and I won't change any spelling differences if a vowel is long, okay?  
  
Minor crossover with Dragon Seeds and Yu*Yu*Hakusho. Actually, it's been a crossover ever since Taka came into this fic. However, it is not so powerful enough that I will change the place this fic is located.  
  
Has anyone read FAKE? Does anyone have any good fanfiction recommendations? I LUV IT!  
  
Now on volume 4 of Marmalade Boy, volume 1 of Dragon Nights, and seen many episodes out of 112 in Yu*Yu*Hakusho.  
  
WAAA! They LOOPED IT! AGAIN!  
  
Scarby - It's a torture spell that invokes the natural attributes, thought- processes, and instincts of the target's opposite gender. (Also, the default mind is still in place, but it's covered up by the spell until the target can come to its senses.) In other words, if the spell was used on Kurohi, he would become a girl, and fall in love with girls and a little bit of boys (because of his current sexuality. He's mostly homosexual, but he's also a little bisexual, so, he would, since he's mostly homosexual, he'd become a lesbian.) With Botan, since she likes boys, when turned into a guy, she likes girls. Does this clear anything up? Feel free to tell me if you're still confused.  
  
Kage Kitsune - I got that same problem a while back and couldn't upload for a few days. I guess it must be that bug that might have been removed a while back. The site may have after-affects of the virus that might not have been removed recently. Don't worry, you'll be able to upload soon. After all, I managed to upload after a day or so.  
  
--------------------------------  
  
"Baka saru!" Enjeru  
  
--------------------------------  
  
The creature Azura bounced around her friend, silver tail lashing excitedly left and right like a dog's.  
  
The Tsuki Ryu female rolled her eyes. "Settle down before you tire yourself out, Azura."  
  
She plopped down and grinned. "Things were too quiet for me. I had to follow you guys."  
  
The ex-(but current-behaving) delinquent choked on his ramen. "Y-You FOLLOWED US?!!!"  
  
"I know I don't seem like much, but Angel-chan DID teach me how to fight!"  
  
"Maybe so, but you shouldn't be here. You're a little... young."  
  
Azura jumped up and prattled a little. "WHAT?! I'm nearly seventy!! I'm old enough to fight!"  
  
The woman rolled her eyes. "Yes, in ningen years. You're no more than fourteen in YOUR years!"  
  
"That's not much of a surprise," replied Kurama calmly. He pulled a long lock of red hair out of his sight to behind his shoulder where it belonged. The fire demon sat close to the silver fox, passing a glance to him that neither Yusuke nor Kuwabara noticed. "The four of us were not much older than Azura's own years. By the way, what species is she?"  
  
"I am an Urinn. Usagi-ningen (A/N: Rabbit-human). We have a delightfully long lifespan. I could last about a few hundred more years before *I* keel over." She grinned again. "Also, I DO think that I'll be a nice compliment to this current team. After all, there are WAAAAAYYY too many guys than girls even now!" She turned to Angel. "We wouldn't want them to take advantage of us, huh?"  
  
"Actually, Azura, Botan over there USED to be a GIRL. Shouldn't HE be included?"  
  
She turned around and blinked her huge eyes. "BOTAN?! ANGEL!" She seemed almost pissed, before she cackled, "What spell did you *use*~?"  
  
"The one that makes the one being changed think and act like the gender they have been inflicted with. Don't YOU remember the title? I know it, but I want YOU to figure it out. What spell did I use, Azura?"  
  
"You used... Seihenko (A/N: Gender-change)."  
  
"Been studying?"  
  
She grinned, showing fangs longer than Kurohi's. "I like magic! Of COURSE I'm going to study!"  
  
"Good. You can help us defeat the two demons four yards to your right. It's a shame none of the rest of you seemed to notice its faint ki," she said in a smart-alecky tone.  
  
Their gazes diverted to the precise place. Kurohi stayed his hands at the hilt of the sword. Kurama, Hiei, and Kuwabara kept their hands away from - or in Kuwabara's case, free of - their weapon. After all, they might not need them.  
  
"Dare da ni...?!"  
  
"Who are we?" mocked one of the demons. "Where you, little boy, are going, you won't *need* to know our names!"  
  
'Nani? They want me? Hmph. What idiots.' "Oh? Enlighten me! Come out from the shadows while yer at it!"  
  
Two slender figures materialized from the shadows. One had wings, the other was wingless. The winged one had a slanted face, pointed nose and pointy, elfin ears. The other one, without wings, wore blue armor, and seemed to be slightly hunched over because of that rough armor.  
  
They both carried shields. One had a sword made of fire, and the other weapon looked a lot like a sword made of ice.  
  
Actually... they weren't...  
  
"You... you aren't... demons!" Kurohi yelled. He remembered seeing things like this. "Yer super dragons!!"  
  
Kurama flicked his gaze over to one side, to eye the boy. "What are super dragons?"  
  
The boy, taller than Hiei, shorter than Kurama, answered, "Super dragons, are dragons that managed to attain their highest form of evolution, and can only be destroyed in battle. Otherwise, they live forever. When we defeat them, they die. To them, there is no such thing as knock-out."  
  
"Glad you know so much about us! We're flattered!" said the female- looking "Spirit" super dragon. She was the one with the wings. She giggled, but was elbowed in the side by the armored "Saurian" super dragon.  
  
"Urusei..."  
  
"Make me!" She pouted.  
  
The other dragon snorted. "Enjeru, now isn't the time."  
  
"Hah! You said my name, Akuma no baka!"  
  
"Baka saru!"  
  
"Nani?!!! (A/N: When said like this, in YYH by Kuwbara, the subtitles say, "What did you say?!!!") I'm NOT a stupid monkey!"  
  
"Ohhh, yes you are, you little... Oh, matte yo, they're still here..." she uttered. She brandished her sword. "Hand over little Kurohi, and we'll be on our way. We won't HURT him, unless you choose to fight! After all, I'm certain he will agree anyway, with, what, his love's life in danger an' all..."  
  
A cord seemed to tighten in the boy's body. His fists removed themselves from the hilt of the sword, and he clenched his hands hard enough to draw blood in his palms. "Let. Koenma-koi. Go."  
  
"Look, he's already using pet-like names! Kawaii! Do we HAVE to kill such a cutie later??" the she-dragon piped. Her blonde hair waved at her jumping from being so excited around such a cute boy.  
  
The group sweat-dropped. THIS was their enemy? A couple of dragons? (A/N: Pun intended.)  
  
Kurama saw Kurohi shiver slightly as Enjeru spoke again. "I wonder if he mated already? Wouldn't that mean he's connected to that stupid god somehow?"  
  
"Koenma-koi's NOT STUPID!!!" yelled Kurohi, but his yelp went unnoticed by the quarreling couple.  
  
Akuma nodded slightly. "Yes, now quit spoiling things that Shirokoori- sama would like to say himself."  
  
"I hate torturing people!!"  
  
"YOU HAVE NO CHOICE!!!" boomed the male dragon. "You were born to serve Shirokoori-sama and so was I! YOUR fate will be no different than mine! Most likely, they'll fight us, kill us, and then move on! Have you sensed their POWER?! There is NO escaping fate! We HAVE to fight! Would you rather be killed dishonorably by our master or by these demons and human?!"  
  
The female was silent. "I'd... rather have Master kill me, than have those people get hurt and kill me in the process of going there. Why... don't we just let it all slide? We can always escape from him, right?"  
  
"Have you LEARNED anything?! Master has to release us or be KILLED to set us free!"  
  
"Um..."  
  
The dragons looked down at the Tsuki Ryu male. His hand was reached up slightly above his head, touching the knee of the armored dragon. His blue eyes were a little puffy from holding back a flood of tears. "I could help you both be free, if you lead us ALL to Shirokoori. Or, you could fake my capture, and leave a barely-there trail for my friends to follow." He turned to everyone behind him. "As bait, Shirokoori just MIGHT be so engrossed with me, that he fails to sense the rest of you coming for him. You could sneak attack his other guards, or Shirokoori himself, while he's busy with me. And, I'm very sorry I haven't been totally open, but you see, I have to go first and distract him. If I know him well enough, one whiff of you will direct him to kill Koenma-koi... and if Koenma dies, so will I, but not vice-versa."  
  
End Day 14's dusk  
  
dare da = who are you  
  
(in this case) ni = two (the symbol looks a lot like: "=" or "-" instead of "|=")  
  
enjeru = angel  
  
akuma = devil; demon; Satan; devilish person  
  
R&R!  
  
The votes have not changed since last chapter.  
  
Started 5/19/03, 4:15PM; Finished 5/19/03, 6:25PM (running into 5's now, huh? Oh, by the way, this is how long I've been on the computer today!) 


	25. Day 14c Leaving

10 Years of Waiting  
  
by Kurohi Tatsaki  
  
Day 14c - Leaving  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own YYH, & never will. Kurohi, Yamiryuinu, Shirokoori, and all the other original characters *I* and Kohaku Frost come up with are property of Beware of Mage & Tsuki Ryu Productions. Use our characters without permission and we will be pissed. Ask first; I don't think I need to tell anyone how to contact me. After all, my e-mail shows up in my bio.  
  
Ramen - I don't write cuteness very often, but I do like to write it... odd, huh? I didn't mean for them to be funny at first but then they just came out that way. Heheh. Though, in Dragon Seeds, I see the Saurian and Spirit type dragon species as a happy-go-lucky type because of their battle stances and appearances. The Saurian has large eyes and an innocent face if it's a blue one, and has a hairstyle similar to Kurohi's if it is a red one. The Super Saurian Dragon I used is a blue one, I think, for I have never actually gotten a super dragon before in my life! For all I know, it could have been a red that became a purple or red or the blue that became a black or green! (Saurian is the only species that has this Adult Form difference) However, my nine-year-old brother, Nathan, got a Wasp Super Dragon A (A female woman with blue wasp wings and she carries a sword and reflector, which I call shields in this fanfic). A dragon can become at least two different Super Dragons: A and B. The only difference is in appearance. I altered the appearance of the Spirit because I wasn't too keen on having the Spirit Super Dragon having a goat head and a lion head (yes, two heads!) or having it be a dragon that looked like a mouth with arms, either. So, I borrowed the form of the Wasp Super Dragon. I know Escaflowne! I own DVD volumes 3, 4, and 5! I can't play 3 anymore because it got too scratched up when I used it a lot and used a scratch remover too many times (but that was only because it wouldn't work)... Waaaaa~! I can't see Van or hear Hitomi talk about his past anymore!! Hey, in Inu-Yasha, did you know that the voice-actor that did Hitomi in Escaflowne does Sango? And that Sango, in Japanese, means Coral? Once I get the scanner up, though, I'll scan some images of Kurohi I drew... which aren't bad for someone who's only drawn anime for 2 years. I've even inked them (not a ballpoint pen! I don't use those on my precious of precious drawings! I mean the real thing that manga artists use! The pen-tip and pen-body and black or red ink!) Yeah... Koenma-chan's cute! Don't tell Kohaku Frost I said that! Oh, Angel wanted to annoy the hell out of Botan so she played a spell on her for amusement, and then... oops! She drops the book INTO the fire! Oh, and I have EVERY intention of keeping this thing going! I have... 16 days and as many a, b, c, etc. parts to go as I like! Plus... school's nearly out, and I don't work, so... I'll have a lot of time to update! (Unless I get a part-time job...)  
  
Scarby - I'm keeping those dragons. No particular fluff this time, sorry... but one of Kurohi's thoughts are kinda sweet. Plus, Hiei is a little hilarious.  
  
Beverly - just know I have never written Yuri in my life. I like Enjeru, too. She depicts how I sometimes act, but it's kinda rare for me to act like that, nowadays...  
  
Some Guy - Haha... Well, did you know I got in semi-shit for writing that lemon? Hahah.. well, the embarrassment was worth it. ^_^ And to think, I've only been writing yaoi fanfiction for... well, maybe about... two to three years(?). I lost track.  
  
venusgirl - Yeah, my friend, Kohaku Frost, likes it, too. She is constantly begging me to rattle off what I have written so far over the phone, and she insists that I make others more aware of the fanfiction that I posted for her under my name, claiming I am a very popular author, though, compared to other people's fanfiction, I have less reviews. *shrugs*  
  
anime haiku - I'm still going. That's a good sign, right? *laughs* Don't worry. He'll eventually get better. I almost always (99.8%) have a happy ending. Only 1 of my old fanfics that was of FF7 had a bad ending, where my character died at the end, but was reborn as a rouge teen and Vincent (who had fallen in love with her previous form) only recognized her transformation (which was the shape of her first form).  
  
Hey, do any of you readers like Final Fantasy VII MaleOC/Vincent fanfiction? I got one collecting dust, but I think it's good, (rather sappy, though, and has no real plot) but I don't know what to call it. It's a pretty good read, though, and not done yet.  
  
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"W-what... did you, say, Kurohi?" stammered the delinquent. At least, that's the front he showed ALL his opponents, and right now, these "Super Dragons" weren't on his ally list yet.  
  
'I'm not surprised that Kurohi would synchronize himself with Koenma-sama. But, by our years... he's so young... if he died...' thought the sole Tsuki Ryu female.  
  
"You'd do that for us, if we lead your friends to defeat our Master, AND you go to him willingly?" asked Akuma.  
  
The boy took a deep breath and nodded bravely. His face knit itself into a form of strong determination. "Yes. I'd do anything to spare Koenma-koi. Even sacrifice my own life. Lead me... and my friends... to Koenma-koi and your master... please......"  
  
The dragon smiled behind his metallic blue facemask. He nodded his large head. "Yes. We will."  
  
The female dragon yipped happily. "I KNEW you'd see it MY way!"  
  
The male frowned. "I am not doing it for your peace of mind. I am doing it so that we can be free!"  
  
"That was my idea!"  
  
"Oh yeah?! My best friend's name is your name! Change it!!" yelled the Urinn. She stomped her foot, about ready to go into another one of her hissy fits.  
  
"A dragon can never change his or her name!" barked the Spirit Dragon. She bent down to peer at the little rabbit. (A/N: Remember: They're HUGE things! About 12 feet) "It's written in the Ancient Book of Dragons! Rule Seventeen! Page forty-four! Paragraph two, section one!! It's ALL! HERE!!" She tossed the girl a book, which landed with a heavy thud at her feet. She huffed. "I could never change my name even if I wanted to!"  
  
As the Urinn flipped through the book, Kurohi looked up at the dragon a minute more before gazing back at his friends. His tail swished slowly at his discontentment. What was his brother up to? Why would he be wanted by him? Was Koenma-koi okay? Perhaps, but he still felt a gnawing pain inside. It never went away. Several times throughout the day, he brooded about his love. He wanted to return to him. Nevertheless, he smiled bravely and verbally allowed himself to be taken from the group.  
  
Hiei approached him, saying nothing for a moment or two. "You know what he might do to you, right? Those thieves I was raised with tried it often."  
  
"What, to get into your pants?"  
  
Hiei chuckled softly. "Yes. Precisely. Just be wary. Don't let your guard down, or it might be the end of you. Trust me, I know."  
  
"I learned from the master, Hiei. You." He smiled again. "Arigato... Domo arigato gozaimasu..."  
  
"Kurohi! Stop speaking as if you'll die!" yelled Urameshi. "Don't you know what you'll be leaving behind?!"  
  
He nodded once, but didn't turn around. He didn't see tears in the male's eyes. His courage was weak enough as it was. "Hai. I know. I lost everything once, and was given a second chance at life... and then... I was given a third..." His right hand tightened at the rushing of memories through his mind. He remembered his resurrection... That death he saw before his very eyes... Hiei... Kurama... that fateful encounter thirteen days ago... "I'm going to stay alive as long as I can. I'll see ya when I see ya. Ja ne."  
  
With that, the male dragon took him away.  
  
The group watched the male dragon as it flew off. Enjeru looked at them. "I'll be following Akuma, but I'll leave a barely-there ki signature trail. Follow with that, for it will lead you all to a secluded area not far from your destination. Stealth will not be required where the path will lead you, but while getting there, you won't want to attract attention. I'll see you later. Ja!" She took her book, stashed it in her robes, spread her wings, and took off.  
  
The Urinn frowned at the fading dots of the dragons. She looked at everyone, Angel, Kurama, Hiei, Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Botan... Her silvery blue eyes flickered as she blinked once, and said, "Maybe we should get a move on? That ki signature trail won't last forever!"  
  
Without a word, two of the demons: Hiei and Kurama, to be precise, started to follow the ground-set ki trail.  
  
With two curses, the carrot top and gel-slick-haired men followed, hands either across their chests or resting behind their heads. Two guesses on who did what. Angel, Botan, and Azura followed behind.  
  
They'd get their friends back no matter WHAT the circumstances!  
  
~~~~~~  
  
Small hands tugged his shirt tighter against himself as the cool air brushed against him, easily penetrating his shirt. He was lost in his thoughts. What would his brother do to him? Why was he being such a son of a bitch? That bastard...  
  
"Hey..."  
  
Kurohi almost jumped at the voice below him.  
  
"You doing all right? You gonna be okay on your own? You don't know what Shirokoori-sama does to people he doesn't like..."  
  
The blue-eyed one nodded. "Actually, I kind of do... but, hai, I'll be all right. You just worry about not being killed if I get out of this with Koenma-koi before your master dies."  
  
"Okay. Good to hear you'll be all right. Good luck." 'You'll need it, kid.'  
  
"Arigato."  
  
"Don't mention it," replied the dragon. "Just... do us all a favor and be careful. Oh, and you know Taka? Well, she's about ready to become a Senior Dragon in a few days. Now, all that's left, is to see if she is qualified to become a Super... or grow Old and die..."  
  
"That's a bad thing?"  
  
"Well... no and yes. It all depends. You see, I am pretty perceptive when it comes to relationships. Taka likes Master."  
  
"You've confirmed this?"  
  
He nodded once. "Yeah. She has it for him. Really, really, REALLY bad."  
  
"Ah. But isn't she a dragon?"  
  
"Yeah, but take a look at Enjeru. She's humanoid.  
  
"Nervous about this? I sure as hell would be."  
  
"...I guess." He closed his eyes, hands resting in his lap, which trembled slightly. "I'm just worried about Koenma-koi..."  
  
'Koenma-sama seems to be the only thing he cares about. Not even his own life, but he's scared... His shivering, however mild it seems, is penetrating even MY thick armor...'  
  
Silence.  
  
"Can I ask you a question?"  
  
"Mm?" mumbled the boy. "Oh, of course. Hai?"  
  
"Why do you hide that flashy pendant? It has attracted my attention since I saw you."  
  
"That, oh, well..." He cleared his throat. "Kinda personal. Don't tell... I never managed to tell Koenma-koi... either..."  
  
"Do go on."  
  
"...Bottom line is, shatter it, and I'm just as good as gone. No soul either. This pendant, literally, is... ME... My entire essence belongs to that pendant. Quite a visible target and weakness, huh?"  
  
"Apparently so. Let's just hope Shirokoori-sama doesn't notice it."  
  
"I hope so, too..."  
  
***  
  
They arrived by nightfall. The place they took him tickled his memories. The stone... it seemed very, very worn with time.  
  
"Kid," whispered the dragon. "now is the time you should act as if you were taken AGAINST your will."  
  
"This place... is it?" he asked. This place made him edgy. He growled very low in his throat.  
  
"Now THAT'S what I'm talking about, kid!" He didn't seem to realize that growl's meaning. He hoisted the boy and grabbed him by the upper arms, letting the boy's body dangle in the balance. If Akuma EVER let go...  
  
The castle/mansion was HUGE! Grass of the demon world rose high up from the ground. Trees were adorned by vines of various species. He heard growling, angry dragons and whelps behind the fortress... Yes, this place was best described as a "fortress".  
  
'Shirokoori and I used to live in this precise area!!' He sensed his brother approaching, and started thrashing. "LET GO OF ME YOU BAKA RYU!!!"  
  
"Bring him inside, and toss him in a cell near that god. I'll deal with him tomorrow. Good work."  
  
In Kurohi's mind, he was laughing. Once he got what he wanted, Shirokoori was goin' DOWN! 'NO ONE,' he thought. "NO ONE... messes with me and my love!! ...I'll do whatever it takes... to get him back..."  
  
End Day 14  
  
R&R!  
  
The votes stand like this:  
  
Botan as Guy: 3  
  
Botan as Girl: 3  
  
I have a feeling that the double branch of scenarios will begin in the next few chapters!  
  
Started 5/20/03, 7:27PM; Finished 4/25/03, 4:59PM 


	26. Day 15 Double Dragon, Sons of the God

10 Years of Waiting  
  
by Kurohi Tatsaki  
  
Day 15 - Double Dragon, Sons of the God  
  
Ramen - Glad you like it so much.  
  
JinE4 - One vote per author. However, I will accept two votes if you think both ways. (Yuri & Straight) You wanted to vote twice to boost the ratings of Botan being a guy, right? Well, I see the Hiei and Kurama relationship like this: Hiei has never been loved in his life. Kurama has had a lover or two, but they're dead. Did you notice all the looks Kurama gives Hiei in the series? Also, in Yu*Yu*Hakusho The Movie: Poltergeist Report, Hiei wants to do a Dark Ki move (I think Youki move (Youkai + Ki = Youki... I think. Example: Hiei has Youki, Youko Kurama has Youki, and Kuwabara has Reiki) on this guy called Yakumo, and Kurama shouts, shooting his arm in front of the demon, "No, Hiei! You'll die!" Hiei, growling, extinguishes the flame. Also, Kurama is the only one Hiei trusts to tie that ward to his right arm, AND Kurama's touch is the only kind of touch he tolerates. Everyone else: "Hands off or I'll cut or burn it (the intruding limb) off! What do you pick?!" Anyway, to think my first Yaoi fanfic was Cloud and Vincent (Final Fantasy VII). It was a lemon. Ha ha. To think - my first yaoi fic a lemon fic, too! Thank god my parents came in AFTER I closed the window, but I wanted to read it again, and couldn't find it for many months! It's called "Recovery". Tifa dies.  
  
Since I appreciate everyone's support I'll probably do a sequel to this, as I love writing fanfiction like this. You know, really long novel ones! This is my LONGEST and MOST SUCCESSFUL Yu*Yu*Hakusho fanfic yet! Before this one, my longest fanfic was only 2 chapters long, and I'm still working on the third (though, it's pretty dead as it is...)  
  
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I sighed softly, reclining in my throne. I felt drained. No way I could deal with my Tsuki Ryu creature of a brother tonight. Come to think of it, he isn't even my brother. Not really, anyway.  
  
Those damn Tsuki Ryu... We beginning species, Ryu Youkai, should be the only ones of dragons to exist! After all, WE were the first to come here. Not Dino Youkai, and CERTAINLY NOT Tsuki Ryu!  
  
...Then why the fuck do Dino Youkai have wings......?  
  
WE control dragons! WE own them! WE are supposed to be the only ones to even consider the concept of dragons! Those Tsuki Ryu and Ryu Youkai took OUR idea! Such bastards, they are!  
  
'Settle down,' offered my dragon. 'Just get some sleep tonight. Forget these troublesome thoughts. I doubt you want to doubt your plans.'  
  
I could sense my dragon smiling slightly. I'm just surprised that my dragon can use the same verb twice in one sentence effectively. He's rather stupid... for a dragon.  
  
'I can read your mind, you know.'  
  
Even I know that. But does that stop me? Nooooo~. Heh heh heh.  
  
'Baka.'  
  
Again, I'm surprised you even know the meaning of that.  
  
'Nani??! Yaro!!'  
  
I'm the bastard now? Nah, my dragon's just stupid.  
  
'If I had a physical body, I'd wring your neck!'  
  
He doesn't have any hands to wring my neck WITH. HA! I chuckle aloud.  
  
'Maybe not, but I have a long body.'  
  
Was he "adding" something else to that?  
  
'Peh! I'm not even gonna bother! G'night!'  
  
Hoo-boy, now I'm left to myself. I decide to stride slowly to my chambers for rest. I don't even spare a glance at the stone walls and lace- like stuff that adorns the upper areas.  
  
But, before I can get there, I have taken another turn and have ended up in the stasis chambers' room. I am standing before my brother.  
  
His gelled hair has come apart. The spikes no longer exist in their thick glory and have yielded a downward rush of brown and silver hair that reaches just past his shoulders. His bangs are now streaked with the shiny gray star's hairs. His tail lays, resting, just behind his legs. His head is bowed; he is limp.  
  
No shit. He's in stasis, just the way I wanted him for tonight.  
  
My eyes look closely at him for a moment before I see the pendant that was lain on a nearby table. I neither pulses nor flickers. Striding over there, I pick it up, noting its raging warmth, seeping into my skin and right to the bone.  
  
Nothing really seems all that interesting about a piece of jewelry.  
  
My mind goes back to the day he told me about it, though I was trying not to listen to my brother's babbling, I remember it all pretty clearly. It was also the first day he came to be my brother, when he was banished from those Tsuki Ryu. Probably because he, Kurohi, is my half-brother. I'm not lying when I say this. My father's name is Majari, and so is his...  
  
***Flashback***  
  
"So," Kurohi uttered, frowning slightly. "...Shirokoori, you're my brother now? How old are you?"  
  
The dark brown-haired one flicked one blue eye up to meet his new brother's gaze. "Which standards? Actual years or appearance?"  
  
"Actual years."  
  
"Forty."  
  
"Damn, man! You're older than me by double!"  
  
"Hmph. So?"  
  
"So..." uttered the younger one. He fell strangely silent and started to turn away. A hand on his arm halted him, and his older half-brother pointed at the pendant tied around the boy's neck by a string of gold.  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"How'd you get it?"  
  
"I got a head injury and the blood formed the stone. I carved the dragon."  
  
Shirokoori grasped it and gave it a squeeze, unaware of the boy's flinching and soft gasp. "So warm..."  
  
"D-don't do that again."  
  
"Why not?" asked the older one, squeezing it again, only this time, even more roughly. His new brother was brought to his knees with a soft cry. He looked up.  
  
"O-oniisan... yameru... kudasai..." he asked between pants. "...onegai..."  
  
"Nah, I wanna keep this up."  
  
"...Nani...?!" he gasped again, closing his eyes. It felt his heart was being squeezed to death from inside his own body... Strangely enough, the force used didn't make him hurt, as in furious pain, but definitely made him want to stop the act because it was close to pain.  
  
The torture continued for a long while, until the boy passed out.  
  
'That was no fun... oh well. I'll do it again when he wakes up. Heh heh heh.'  
  
***End Flashback***  
  
I blinked at the stone. Actually, hurting the god would be a lot more fun if I did what I had done to Kurohi so long ago right in front of that idiot's gold eyes.  
  
I smirk. Yes, that'd be a LOT more fun. Hmmm... Should I make him naked or not?  
  
That thought in mind, I return to my chambers. I come to a conclusion before I drift to sleep.  
  
My conclusion is...  
  
End Day 15  
  
Cliffie..!  
  
Hey, I know a possible sequel! Yu*Yu*Hakusho The Movie: Poltergeist Report! I'll add Kurohi! Family reunion! ^_^  
  
Okay, my writer's block ain't so bad now. It's still there, so that's why this chapter is really short.  
  
I know what Shirokoori is going to do to little Kurohi. (they're rivaling brothers of the same father, explained in a fanfic of Kurohi's past I'm working on. Shall I put up the first chapter in this story, or add a new title...?)  
  
The votes stand like this:  
  
Botan as Guy: 5  
  
Botan as Girl: 3  
  
Heheh. You like Botan as a guy, huh?  
  
R&R!  
  
Started 5/27/03, 4:17PM; Finished 6/2/03, 2:48PM 


	27. Day 16a Who I Am, Where We Are

10 Years of Waiting  
  
by Kurohi Tatsaki  
  
Day 16a - Who I Am, Where We Are  
  
Disclaimer - I forgot it last time! Oops! I don't own YYH, & never will. After all, I'm not Yoshihiro Togashi. Kurohi, Yamiryuinu, Shirokoori, and all the other original characters *I* and Kohaku Frost come up with are property of Beware of Mage & Tsuki Ryu Productions. Use our characters without permission and we will be pissed. Ask first; I don't think I need to tell anyone how to contact me.  
  
Keaira - (from your review of Chapter 21) Kuwabara's reaction when he stumbles upon Hiei and Kurama's relationship is...  
  
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Hm.  
  
I wonder what time is it?  
  
Is it day? Is it... ni..ght?  
  
Hm...  
  
Koenma... for you, I...  
  
Hard to think straight.  
  
I want to move... I want to see... smell...  
  
Wait a minute...  
  
...I sense Koenma near me...! Koenma!!  
  
...I can't move my mouth. I can't breathe, but I know I'm alive. I think, in reality, time has stopped for me... again. Already, I'm used to this... "Preservation". Pah. I don't like it. I want to live...  
  
I want to do so many things... like see you again... and don't think I haven't forgotten your promise, you sexy god.  
  
If I could smile right now, I would. Once I am let out of here, I will do what I can to keep you from harm.  
  
...Oooh... my head... pounds... someone... make it stop...  
  
I remember... a strange room... strange people...  
  
...this is......!  
  
A baby's cry broke the tension in the large palace's room.  
  
"It's a... boy?" gasped a woman.  
  
"A boy...?! You sure you're not mistaken?!" demanded another.  
  
"Of COURSE I'm not mistaken! I've done this job for over one hundred years!"  
  
"What is all the fuss?" demanded a blond-haired woman, who entered the noisy room. She leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed elegantly against her upper stomach. Her mystical eyes eyed the bundle in one woman's arms. "Over a child?" She knew that all children were fussed about, but this intensely? Something was not normal.  
  
"It's a male!" gasped the elder. "Males are not allowed! Even YOU know the customs! This boy must be removed!"  
  
"Don't kill my son!! Onegai!!" the mother cried.  
  
Bright blue eyes darted over to his mother. They blinked widely in confusion, its mouth mumbling words unknown to anyone except babies before mimicking innocently, "'negai?"  
  
He was embraced tighter by the mother, who closed her violet eyes. "Yes, my boy, yes, 'onegai'..."  
  
'That child is a fast learner...' "Elder, couldn't we just make this one exception?" gently asked the blonde.  
  
"Rules are rules, customs are customs! YOU are going to be the next Elder when I die and you question those standards?!!"  
  
"He has potential. Eventually, our race will die off, won't it?" reasoned the woman. "That's common sense; we're already losing our people and you DESPISE this male Tsuki Ryu child?!"  
  
'I couldn't help falling in love with Majari... before he was sent to the Netherworld...' thought the mother. '...Majari...'  
  
"Angel-sama-"  
  
"Don't 'Angel-sama' me! He might be the only one left who can resurrect our dying breed!"  
  
"Yeah, right! We breed on our own! Just like the Koorimes! Though, they're all isolated bitches..."  
  
"Tetcha-chan!" the Elder swatted the child across the back of the head. "What was that?!" she demanded of the forty-four-year-old. She looked only seven.  
  
The girl rubbed the spot that got hit. "Ah... nan da, nai."  
  
"Heheh.. nah-ee!" chirped the newborn. "Nah-ee! Nah-ee! Nai!!"  
  
'He already knows some speech... but, I don't know what else I can do for him...' "Tokiai-san, have you named him?"  
  
The mother nodded. "Kurohi."  
  
"Where did that name come up from?"  
  
"His eyes look like a cold fire... that's all."  
  
"Koo-loh-hee! Koo-loh-hee!" mimicked the child again.  
  
"Kurohi?"  
  
"Nnn?"  
  
"Say, 'kaasan'."  
  
The infant opened his mouth wide."...kaah... ahh.. saaan... kah-ah-san...?" He blinked.  
  
"He learns fast enough."  
  
"...nuff!"  
  
The woman blinked, then looked at the mother. "May I pick him up?"  
  
She nodded wearily, and allowed the infant to be hoisted into the arms of the compassionate Tsuki Ryu. "So kawaii, ne? Who's a cute boy? Who's a cute boy?" she cooed.  
  
The boy pointed a chubby finger at himself, blinking wide eyes.  
  
Angel nuzzled his short nose with her own and closed her eyes a moment. She sighed and pulled away. "I'm so, so sorry they don't like you for what you are..."  
  
The boy blinked and cocked his head to one side. "Neh?"  
  
She smiled slightly, but sadly. "Hai, sou sa."  
  
"Soh-oo sah?"  
  
She chuckled. "Why does he mimic me?" she asked no one in particular, cradling the boy to her chest.  
  
"Ah, you know... Majari?"  
  
"Ah. I see..."  
  
"...eeee," uttered the boy. He soon drifted to slumber.  
  
Hey... that was my... so, I'm really.........  
  
...my god...  
  
I'm really... a Tsuki Ryu...!!  
  
Angel...  
  
...no wonder why I loved her so much...!  
  
If my heart were beating right now, I'd be going over a hundred miles an hour...  
  
...My mind fades with the headache, and I "rest" peacefully.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
Kurama leaned closer to his fire demon, seeking warmth in the cold summer night of Makai. He wasn't quite touching him until a soft blast of cold air struck the group. The redhead clung tightly to the hankoorime in an effort to ward off the wind.  
  
The carrot-top eyed this action with his small eyes. "Oi, Kurama! I don't think the chibi likes that!"  
  
Hiei frowned at the insult. He turned his head. "Whatever gave you THAT impression, baka?"  
  
The man frowned. "Wha..."  
  
Yusuke glowered up at him. "Don't get involved in their business."  
  
"Yeah, but Hiei's actin' real weird.. kinda like he's..."  
  
"So what if he is?"  
  
"Hiei and K-Kurama are in..." He paused, and squeaked, "...love?"  
  
Kurama chuckled, giving Hiei a quick glance before returning his eyes to the funny spectacle before them. The fire demon smirked triumphantly.  
  
Kuwabara blinked at them, and his jaw hit the grass when Kurama leaned down and kissed the fire demon. (A/N: On the lips! Where else?) The fox slowly pulled away and smiled lightly at the oaf. "You okay with this, Kuwabara?"  
  
"G-uh..." he stuttered. Yusuke stomped on the man's foot. Hard, and started to run off, chuckling to himself. "SHIT! Dammit, Urameshi! Get back here!!"  
  
Hiei looked up at his fox and snorted, saying nothing at the moment.  
  
"Yusuke------! Kuwabara------! We're lea---ving!" that said, they started to walk off.  
  
Hiei counted under his breath, "San... ni... ichi-"  
  
"Wait up, guys! Wait!!"  
  
Hiei smirked. 'What idiots.'  
  
The emerald-eyed beauty smiled at his demon. "You just love that, don't you?"  
  
"What, having them make fools of themselves? Yeah."  
  
Kurama nuzzled his love's neck with his nose, which had grown cold because of the cool air. Hiei shuddered. "You're cold."  
  
"You're warm..."  
  
Hiei opened up the left side of his cloak, letting the fox slide next to him. He wrapped the black cloak around them both. He looked up. "Better?"  
  
"Mm-hmm..."  
  
The red-eyed demon smiled. "Sugoi."  
  
"We should be there pretty soon."  
  
"Good. This forest is really cold."  
  
"You're not the only one who's cold!" mumbled Kuwabara, shivering, and shoving his numb hands into his pockets.  
  
"Come, join the crowd," replied Yusuke, rolling his big brown eyes.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
I can't believe that they would HIDE something like that from me! They coulda told me! For I am Kuwabara Kazuma! Master of the Double Spirit Sword and Ki Signature Detecting! I could take something like that! I've taken far worse, after all!  
  
Mwahahaha!  
  
I glance from Yusuke to the two demons in front. Hiei has wrapped Kurama into the left side of his cloak.  
  
I wish Yukina were here, but if we involved her, she might die. Who knows how strong our opponent is? How much time do we have before it's too late?  
  
I frown a bit. I don't want to think of either Pacifier Boy or Tailed Kid to be dead.  
  
Behind us stride two girls and a boy-turned-girl.  
  
Angel walked ahead of us, striding quickly from behind me to right in front of the group. Azura, the one with the longest ears, followed. The two turned around and faced us.  
  
"We are getting close. Exercise extreme caution and silence, and we won't be caught before we get inside."  
  
Azura simply looked up at her friend, frowning slightly.  
  
"You have something to say, Azura?"  
  
"I have a really bad feeling, Angel-chan. Time is short. I think we'll have to trek long into tonight."  
  
"How can you tell it's not night now?" I asked.  
  
"Everything is awake. Not sleeping. Ki Signatures around here are awake, not sleeping. None of them are tired, so their Signatures are in full strength."  
  
Talk about repeating "Key words" like my English teacher taught me... "Oh."  
  
And, so, we marched on. I kept grumbling about the cold, and received many blows from Urameshi. I'm just glad he didn't bash my... you know...  
  
Heheh.  
  
Uh...  
  
I stopped walking and stilled myself. "Wait guys, I think someone may have already found us..."  
  
The rest of them stopped and looked at me. Damn, how I didn't want to be on the spotlight just now...!  
  
"Hee hee hee hee hee!!" Something flew down right in front of us. "Baldak see prey again - whaa?!" It stopped once it spotted Urameshi. "Oh, cripes! That boy again!"  
  
"Baldak, what are you doin' here?! We're on a rescue mission!"  
  
"Coincidence! Baldak out to find Kurohi-san! Baldak sensed his energies one moment ago!"  
  
"Wait, Kurohi'-san'?" I asked.  
  
The gray demon nodded. "Kurohi royalty, but no act like royalty. Kurohi Baldak's only friend past forever."  
  
I just stared. "So, what are you doin' here?"  
  
He frowned at me and yanked some gray hair out of his eyes. "Baldak already say so! You want pick fight with Baldak?!?!" He was up in my face now. I snorted. His breath was horrible. Rotting meat...  
  
"No. I'd say we'd better get Kurohi and Koenma the hell outta there before they croak."  
  
He looked confused a moment before he understood my meaning. "Baldak understand. Fortress not far from here. Keep going straight. Find fortress close by." He paused. "Baldak go by air. Baldak keep eye out." With that, he took to the air.  
  
I glanced at everyone. "Let's go! This forest give me the creeps!"  
  
"I can agree with that, Kuwabara. Let's get going."  
  
***  
  
"...Kurama?"  
  
"Yes, Hiei?"  
  
How can I tell him I'm actually starting to get worried about my student? Am I going soft?  
  
"...Hiei?"  
  
"Um?" I ask, slightly startled.  
  
"Kurohi will be fine. We have to continue having faith in him. After all, you trained him, and he's a great fighter. Lose that faith, and he might lose faith in himself."  
  
"Hn," was my trademark reply. I believed him. If it would make fox feel better, I'd believe in my student... Hey, it's even making ME feel better!  
  
We only had to walk for a few more minutes, and then we came upon the fortress.  
  
End Day 16's noon  
  
I thought it would be fun to write from Kuwabara's perspective for a while! He's kinda hard, though. (NO! For those who like him, get your minds outta the gutter!!)  
  
chibi = short (derogatory term), runt, shrimp, etc.  
  
san = three  
  
ni = two  
  
ichi = one  
  
The votes have not changed.  
  
Oi! I think my writer's block is gone!! Yay! ^O^ Do you guys think that my writer skills of Kuwabara's POV are at least exceptional? What could I improve, since this is the first time I've written in his perspective? And, finally, what did you think with that big sneak peak of Kurohi's past?  
  
R&R!  
  
Started 6/3/03, 11:21AM; Finished 6/3/03, 3:38PM 


	28. Day 16b Coming & Going

10 Years of Waiting  
  
by Kurohi Tatsaki  
  
Day 16b - Coming and Going  
  
Disclaimer - I don't own YYH, & never will. After all, I'm not Yoshihiro Togashi. Kurohi, Yamiryuinu, Shirokoori, and all the other original characters *I* and Kohaku Frost come up with are property of Beware of Mage & Tsuki Ryu Productions. Use our characters without permission and we will be pissed. Ask first; I don't think I need to tell anyone how to contact me.  
  
I have decided to up the rating for that lemon scene, because I don't want to get in trouble. Gomen nasai...  
  
Keaira - Glad you liked it! It was kinda hard writing from that oaf's perspective. I guess I made him kind of insightful, huh? I mean, after all, wouldn't one such as himself receive that ability after ten years?  
  
Ramen - Yeah, I'm not used to writing from his perspective. It's okay to use the word "cute"! ^_____^ Especially over and over and over and over and over and... ...I'm hyper!!!!!!!!! Muse: "And that doesn't happen often."  
  
JinE4 - Straight stories, I find rather boring lately, but I do read them. You could do one. Two good examples are "Sink To the Bottom With You" and "I Know What's Beneath the Snow Fields." STtBWY is about 35 chapters, still going, and IKWBtSF is about 95 chapters long, still going. The first is Vincent/Yuffie, and the second is Vincent/Aeris. Both are a great read! I don't know what "sore wa himitsu desu" means... my Japanese ain't that great in fluency. Guidelines to Yaoi? Well, it can be PWP (Plot? What Plot?) or anything else. A nice Yaoi read would be the manga FAKE. The graphics aren't the best, but it's damn funny. It gets graphic in later books, though. Find a loophole (such as after an episode in an anime or whatnot, but before the next one), or find a possible pairing, or find one that you know WON'T work out, and make it work! (such as STtBWY... okay, that's it, I'm callin' it "Sink" and "I Know What's Beneath the Snow Fields" "Snow Fields") That's always a fun challenge! One-shots are nice for beginners, but you have to end them right then and there, and they turn out a bit lacking. Oh, and Sandy Youko has written some very citrusy lemons out there (look for her NC-17 site: Hiei and Kurama's Den) She's very good with Hiei and Kurama lemons ON EVERY CHAPTER! Hehe. I LUV her "Homework Files"! In one chapter, Hiei runs the scabbard of his katana up Kurama's... *runs off to read it* Also, look for Bulma's Manga Mansion. She has great, lengthy yaoi fics you can use for reference! Humor is a good way to start, but let's hope your friend is open-minded. I hope this helps any! ^__^ By the way, Yaoi doesn't rot brains - it opens them up to new (and possibly improved) ideas!  
  
//telepathy// ~~~~~~POV switch *********Flashback/End Flashback  
  
--------------------------------  
  
Their destination was tall, and constructed of stone, much like Maze Castle. The entrance looked like a long tunnel, that stretched just as far as the eye could see, and probably beyond that. Looking to the left and right, Kurama noted that this place was about as large as Mukuro's, which said a lot.  
  
Yusuke and Kuwabara cracked their knuckles. "Let's get going, shall we? We've never been known to make our appearances secret!"  
  
"For once, Kuwabara, you're right."  
  
"OI!"  
  
"All right, people! Let's go!"  
  
The group marched to the entrance.  
  
From above, a flicker of blue flashed in the corner of the demon's eye. "Baldak see dragon!! DRAGON!!!"  
  
Seven sets of eyes darted up in alarm.  
  
"Get DOWN HERE, dumb Dragon! I'm gonna kick yer ass!!"  
  
The birdie creature flicked its eye down at them, holding its weapons tightly. "Rescue party, are you? You're a bit late, you know! Who knows what Master has in mind for your friends?! Run, run as fast as you can once you beat me! For the time you get to those two, it may be your last! But, before you can beat me, you have to catch me! Tag! You're it!!" With that phrase as warning, Taka shot a fire blast at the group, scattering them to several directions. Taka flew through one of the windows, vanishing from sight, cackling like a witch.  
  
"We have no alternative! We enter through the front!" said Kurama sternly.  
  
Yusuke nodded. "Yeah. It seems that way. Let's go!"  
  
They dashed inside, the gate slamming shut behind them. Azura looked at the now sealed off entrance. "No turning back... This is the first time I've felt so trapped. A-Angel-chan?"  
  
Those mystical eyes turned to her best friend. "Come on. You can be near me if you must. Come on. Be brave if you can. We need all the help in the upcoming fights that we can."  
  
Azura nodded and strode next to her friend. Her ears were lying flat against her head, silver hair spread apart slightly by the pressure.  
  
Hiei kept his fiery gaze rooted in front of himself, as did Kurama, Yusuke, the oaf, and Botan. Botan, though, was having an especially hard time.  
  
'Angel-is-hot-she-is-soooo-hot-I-should-be-watching-where-I'm-going-but-I- can't-focus-much-longer-and-if-I'm-not-careful-I-could-be-the-end-of-us- all... Oh-my-god-I'm-frickin'-hard!' He blushed slightly at the thought and hissed under his breath as his hardness nearly became very painful as he imagined a naked Angel standing before him. He bopped himself on the head and shook his head clear of those thoughts... but it didn't work for very long.  
  
Hiei flicked his gaze for a second as he heard the sound of a fist to the head. He shook his head at the lump Botan had created on his own head and eyed Kurama through the corner of one red eye. He nearly had the sudden fear of Kurama being "kidnapped" just as Kurohi had.  
  
The fox, as if sensing his fire demon's fear, turned his head slightly and whispered into the demon's right ear, "I won't be gone from you. Never, Hiei." His nose nuzzled the lobe once or twice before he licked it lightly, making the demon shiver.  
  
"Oi, lovebirds! You can make out and whatnot once we're outta enemy territory!"  
  
Kurama blushed slightly and moved back. Out of instinct and comfort against the cool air, the fire demon wiped his ear with his shoulder. Botan blinked his light violet eyes and wondered what it would be like if he did that to Angel. 'Heh. She'd probably deck me...' He still marveled at the boy's body he now resided in. No more periods! No more boobs that had to be confined into the tightness of a bra! Whoopee~!  
  
They entered an intersection. One path went left, one path went right. Hiei yanked off his white bandanna and the Jagan Eye opened, scanning the paths for a familiar Ki Signature. He detected one of Taka's older Signatures, and he pointed to the path on the right with one warded hand. "This way. Taka went this way." The group marched down the path indicated.  
  
They walked for some time, and came to another intersection.  
  
"Which way now, chibi?" asked Kuwabara.  
  
Hiei growled at the insult to his height and let the Jagan stare across the three available paths, not including the one that they had come from. Silently, he marched onward as he detected the Signature.  
  
"Hiei! Matte yo!" uttered Kurama. "Wards... Unless I can get rid of them with my Rose Whip, we should take another route."  
  
Hiei blinked. "Funny, I don't sense anything."  
  
"You wouldn't, because these are fire youkai wards." He pulled out his Rose Whip and shouted, "Rose Whip! Kagon-retsuzanshi!!" (A/N: Elegant, Harsh, Limb-Severing Attack)  
  
The whip came down with a sharp noise. The ward snapped in two, and crackled before it burnt to ashes. The fox looped the whip in several circles, holding it together with one hand. Not surprisingly, the thorns didn't pierce his skin. "Let us move onward, shall we?" He dashed ahead, wary of everything around him. The fire demon led them through various and seemingly random hallways until they came to a dead end.  
  
"Hiei, are you sure we're there?"  
  
"Taka went past here. There must be a switch somewhere."  
  
Kurama nodded in agreement. Azura, daringly, went up to Hiei. "I think I can figure this out. Let me try."  
  
Hiei nodded once and stepped back. Azura ripped off her bandanna, revealing a golden Jagan Eye. Its violet glow washed over the entire wall, and Hiei felt a rush of awe flood his system for a split second.  
  
She had an Eye! Someone who's strength could compare to his own! ...Not that Kurama couldn't do that, either.  
  
"Here. This is it..." Azura touched a few stone bricks in a sequence, and the wall... vanished. "I smell the scents of one god and one half-god. This the right place, Hiei?"  
  
"Half-god?" asked Hiei. "What do you mean? The only god is Koenma."  
  
In silence, Azura unthinkingly rushed down the stairs that were revealed by the fading of the "wall".  
  
"Azura! What have I told you?!!" demanded Angel. "Shiie..." she nearly cursed. She trotted off after her friend, and managed to run down half of the flight when she heard a yelp. She came into a room with several "tubes" with an eerie green glow.  
  
Azura stood in the middle of all this, tears in her big eyes. She turned to her friend and embraced her black-robed middle tightly. "We're too late... They're not here...!"  
  
"...and?"  
  
"And I found this..." She held up a crying dragon stone pendant. It was the same stone that held Kurohi's reddish-violet Hirui-Seki. Its claw was busted off and so was part of the tail. One horn was broken as well, and the chain seemed to be hanging onto the dragon's head for dear life. "Someone must have taken the stone out of it..."  
  
Her friend frowned. "...The Stone of Blood has been removed..." She turned her head to everyone, urgency written in her strange eyes. "We haven't much time! Kurohi's life just might end at any second!!"  
  
Azura tugged at her friend's robe. "What's more, Koenma's gone, too. This doesn't bode well."  
  
Angel nodded. "I believe you're right... Is there another path leading through here?"  
  
The rabbit-eared one nodded and lead the way, stopping at a door at the far end of the room. She pulled open the door, holding the heavy mass open for everyone else with surprising strength. Her Jagan Eye glowed as it, too, exerted power.  
  
//Hiei.//  
  
The demon, last to go through the door, flicked his eyes to the blue-eyed one. Those blue eyes didn't waver as those piercing orbs matched hers.  
  
//We'd better hurry up. Angel's final form does not last long. I'd say we have until tomorrow afternoon to about three days from then until she goes back into baby form.//  
  
Hiei nodded. //What's the Blood Stone?//  
  
//If I have to, I'll explain it to everyone once the subject is brought up or something.//  
  
Nodding once, Hiei strode through the door.  
  
~~~~~~ (A/N: Sorry I can't stay with Hiei and Kurama so long!)  
  
"W-What are you g-gonna d-do with that?!!" demanded the owner of twin sapphire orbs. "And why did you demand my clothes off?!!" 'This is so embarrassing!' he thought. He was on the cold floor, the coldness creeping up his lower limbs. The only thing covering his manly parts was that long tail of his. His hands were placed against the ground and shackled together by a loose chain. His legs were left free so he could sit.  
  
"No reason. I just wanted you to be completely and utterly ashamed. Who could like you with a body like that, anyway?"  
  
'What...?' His eyes narrowed. His wet hair dangled into his eyes.  
  
His half brother held the red orb in one cold fist, sending shivers throughout the other boy's body straight through his heart.  
  
"I mean, come on... That tattoo... those scars... I think I might add one more... But, anyway, my Tsuki Ryu of a brother... oh, wait, I haven't told you yet, have I?"  
  
"What, that I'm the sole male Tsuki Ryu? You don't need to tell me. I remember."  
  
"Good, then. Oh, and I brought a guest. Be sure to say 'hi'."  
  
He stepped aside, revealing a cage surrounded by high walls of energy. A mop of roan hair was the first thing Kurohi saw, and all he needed to see to recognize his lover.  
  
"Koenma-koi!! Let him go, Shirokoori, kudasai!!" he pleaded, using his large eyes in their full-begging power.  
  
His half brother merely blinked at this. He wore violet robes lined with golden silk. His wings were spread out, and his tail swished hovered behind him in a gentle arc. "Reduced to pleading? Do not worry about your lover. He is alive. Let me force you through pain that will eventually kill you, and I will let him go."  
  
"If I refuse?" Always good to know other options.  
  
"I'll kill him."  
  
His eyes narrowed. "But, it's impossible to kill a god... especially Enma Diao's son!"  
  
"Not with MY magic."  
  
Kurohi hesitated, now disregarding his current state of undress. "Why are you doing this?"  
  
"Your race should NOT be the one in power! It is the most unclean, AND we were there first!"  
  
To the boy, he sounded like an angry kid. His eyes half closed in irritation at that thought.  
  
"But enough talk! Die!"  
  
The red orb was then squeezed. Tightly. Kurohi couldn't even gasp at the pain, and clutched at his chest tightly. A wrangled growl escaped his tight throat and he fell forward, injured, but far from dead.  
  
//K...oen...ma...// He forced himself to sit up as the pain started to reside, but he flopped back like a fish out of water when the pressure against his heart came up again twice as hard.  
  
This time, he cried out. Memories rushed into his mind and right out. None of them stuck in his mind for a second, but then...  
  
*********  
  
I don't really understand why they must send me away. I only lived in their world until I was old enough to run on my own. At the time, I had pretty short fangs and long claws that could cut through a lot. I only had to worry about them breaking, but that never happened. Though, it happened with all the other Tsuki Ryu.  
  
My room is... fairly small. It is decorated in expensive silks and a very soft bed in the corner. We are an advanced race. Tsuki Ryu can become dragons and also control them. I know this because of the extensive library we have on our race. Head of that library, is Angel. I, only four years old to the eye, consider Angel as my best friend.  
  
No one else likes me.  
  
She treats me as an equal.  
  
By the way, my actual age is around twenty or so right now. I've kinda lost count. Wait, yeah, I'm twenty years old. As you can tell, we age on the outside much slower than we do time-wise. When we age one year physically, we, in reality, have lived for five years.  
  
Angel had negotiated with the Elder that I could stay with them until I could easily fend for myself. Then, I would be banished from their race forever, and deemed a Ryu Youkai. Bleah.  
  
That would be today. Today of the new moon. Today is also the time I get my first dragon. To be honest, I'm pretty excited.  
  
My hair is short, deep brown and bangs that go only halfway to my eyes. My hair spikes just a little, where it can. It looks like a spark, and I can't help but giggle when I think of it like that. Heheh.  
  
For a female, Angel is very pretty. Don't ask me why I think that. I just do. I can't explain it. Though, nowadays, I have to rush to my room to deal with a slight... problem. Though, I've never gotten close to peaking, if you get my drift, you hentais! Heheheh.  
  
"Kurohi!"  
  
"Hm?" I reply, turning around to face a Tsuki Ryu, who gave me a cutting look.  
  
All the females, save Angel, loathe me for who I am... a male...... and, at times, I just want to die. Why couldn't I have been born female...? I didn't even have a sister for Kami-sama's sake!  
  
"Almost time!" she clipped.  
  
I nodded once.  
  
...People used to get mad at me because I always copied others' techniques for a short period of time. As you can tell, it probably started out with words. To this day, my memories slip quickly if I don't write them down or repeat them in my mind. It bites, but I get used to it. However, the most climatic or valued memories remain intact. I can even induce the smells, sounds, and touches I encountered onto myself to make myself relive the moment.  
  
Pain included... Ick.  
  
Today, I have to prove my worth to have their techniques...... not that they'll make it easier for me to do the same tasks that others have done before me.  
  
In my case, being a male sucks, but, on with my story...  
  
I dashed out the door, and ran down the hall. My footsteps echoed loudly in the semi-occupied corridors. Faces and objects flashed before my eyes. None of them made sense, but I held the image of where I am supposed to go into my mind.  
  
My boots screech to a halt on the marble floor in front of a door. Without knocking, I enter the large room.  
  
"You finally showed up," clipped the snotty, ignorant elder.  
  
"Gomen na-"  
  
"Urusei!! Let us begin! We're wasting time!"  
  
I hate her. I never wanted to, but I ended up hating her since I was two, visibly, and ten, yearly.  
  
I nod and get into a battle stance, claws out and sharpened. The elder summons a monster in front of me.  
  
It's a huuuuuge dragon. It roars, snapping fangs at me and swishes its tail. Leaping forward, I slice my claws through its hide, and I hear a scream.  
  
Growling, the dragon comes at me, fangs bared. It snaps at my arm, but I dodge to the left and slash at its shin.  
  
Its tail hits me in the head, sending me flying into a wall. Pain soars through my spine, my head and back again. I don't scream; I don't cry as I slump against the ground. I think I'm dead, but a check of my own heartbeat says I'm very much alive.  
  
The elder calls back the dragon and scoffs at me. "You fail! Come back when you're REALLY ready!"  
  
What...? No "nice try" or "what you really need to do is improve your blah, blah, blah"? What am I supposed to do?  
  
I lift my head. The painful action wrings a growl from me and I fall to the floor again. My head swims and I hiss.  
  
"Get up, you lazy excuse for a Tsuki Ryu! You're taking up the floor!"  
  
I'm trying, you fucking asshole...  
  
Forcing myself to sit up, I glare with unfocused eyes about the room. The elder is in my face, glaring daggers at me.  
  
"Well, what are you waiting for? Get your carcass outta here!"  
  
Standing up, I run out the door and slam it. The first place I go to, is my room.  
  
I close that door calmly and lean my aching head against it. "Shit..." I close my eyes to hold back the dizziness and fuzziness of my room. I open my eyes again, and regret it immediately. My room is doing the hula, is fuzzy, and there are spots in front of my vision. I growl in irritation and pain as I clutch my head with my hands. My hands are wet, and my hands come away with blood on them. The drops do an odd thing. They fall from my hands, leaving not a trace on them.  
  
They form a large, red-violet orb on the floor. It pulses, and my body suddenly registers the blood loss. I can't even stop myself from slumping to the floor again before it's too late. My mind goes blank, and I lose consciousness.  
  
*********  
  
"...Blood... Stone... Hm...ph... me... a fail...ure... damn it..." My limbs were weak. I could barely speak, let alone move. I wanted to go to sleep. So much pain... I was aware of my delirium... very aware. "...Drag..on... Ry...u... Failu..re... me...? Voices... so.. many........ Make them... stop... stop..... stop...!"  
  
I rolled into myself, clutching at my chest even more tightly with every beat of my heart. God, how I hated the life-giving organ right now! The pain was driving my mind out, the, WINDOW! I coughed, but only managed to hack up blood. Through narrowed eyes, I gazed at the mess and limply rolled away from it. I didn't manage to move much though, but it was an improvement.  
  
"Kurohi!"  
  
I felt consciousness fading in and out. I weakly lifted my head, and my eyes were blessed with an untainted image of my lover.  
  
"Koe.." My words were jerked from me as I let out a weak growl. I couldn't even use my telepathy anymore. I didn't want my love to see me like this, but I also didn't want him to be sad.  
  
I guess, I had no more--  
  
A scream painfully ripped its way past my throat. I couldn't call it back.  
  
--choice in the matter.  
  
Suddenly, death--  
  
I felt tears come into my eyes and then swiftly glide down my face, making no audible sound as the rush hit the floor. This situation was SO unfair! I wanted to see Koenma again, but... in my current state...  
  
--didn't sound so bad.  
  
"...nma... ai..shi..."  
  
Before I could finish my sentence, my mind was no longer my own, and spiraled swiftly into darkness. But I knew one thing...  
  
...I was dying.  
  
I just hoped I could see Koenma again one more time.  
  
End Day 16  
  
Waaaa~.. Did I write this? Tell me I didn't write this!! *shakes muse* You'd better not make me kill Kurohi!!  
  
Muse: *being shaken* I may have had you write it, but what about that dream you had last night when this axe-wielding god tried to kill you like in one of those stupid horror movies?  
  
And you call it a dream because **why**? 'Why's she tryin' to change the subject...?'  
  
Muse: 'cuz you don't cry or nothin' in your sleep, even when nightmares plague it! My god, you seem indestructible in that department lately!  
  
*growling sleepily*  
  
Muse: Plus, you're a bit strange when you just wake up.  
  
-_- Note to self: Kill this muse and get a better one! I PROMISE a happy ending! I **totally** dig happy endings!!  
  
Muse: You'd kill a muse that looks like a cat mixed with a dragon?  
  
NEVER MIND~! Forget I said that! *glomps muse*  
  
Muse: O_o She is officially WeIrD!  
  
Anyway, you will pay DEARLY if you make me kill Kurohi! I will NOT have this be one of my overly angsty I-Kill-My-Own-OC-And-Don't-Resurrect-It fics!  
  
Read & Review!  
  
Started 6/3/03, 7:38PM; Finished 6/7/03, 8:16AM 


	29. Day 17a Love Finds a Way

10 Years of Waiting

by Kurohi Tatsaki

Day 17a - Love Finds a Way

Disclaimer - I don't own YYH, & never will. After all, I'm not Yoshihiro Togashi. Kurohi, Yamiryuinu, Shirokoori, and all the other original characters I and Kohaku Frost come up with are property of Beware of Mage & Tsuki Ryu Productions. Use our characters without permission and we will be pissed. Ask first; I don't think I need to tell anyone how to contact me.

The Official 30th chappie! 13 more days to go after this one! (Yes, I know the title is kinda corny-sounding but it was the best I could come up with!)

Ramen - The good things about summer is that there's NO SCHOOL and sleeping in on weekdays is also inevitable (I do this). Shirokoori really isn't a bad guy in a good majority of my other fics (particularly Yu-Gi-Oh!). In my other fics, he is a happy-go-lucky kid. He likes to get into teachers' faces, pull pranks and then dash off. He likes Kurohi, hence the nicknames: Light, Hikari, and Aibou... In YGO fics, Shirokoori has gold eyes and DARK brown hair with no red highlights, and his favorite nightly hobby is throwing "threats" (ex. 'Rare Hunters) several blocks away with his third eye. (The record is 5 blocks). I WON'T have a sad ending! This is proved in THIS chapter! Oh, and about the fan: My dad busted the one in the living room, and the only compensation is that we got these turbo fans that, when set on "Low" they don't do low stuff... more like medium... and they're loud as hell.

Scarby - Like I said, I might do alternate chapters of the last half or so. I might title them "Yuri, Day #, blah blah blah" or something like that. But yeah, you're right about the balance. And this chapter came quicker than I expected. Once this mess everyone's in is over, I'll need some ideas about "for fun" stuff that may have nothing to do with the previous plot.

Did you know...

That Majari makes a key role in "YuYuHakusho The Movie: Poltergeist Report"? Yep. That's probably going to be the sequel! (All I have to do is transcribe the whole thing and add what's going on, then use THAT and tweak stuff around)

I hope to do a RPG Maker thing of this fic or at least do a doujinshi! Then, I'll need a scanner so I can scan all the stuff for you loyal fans! Over 80 reviews! I'm touched! glomps everyone My writer's block is nearly gone! Eien Ni Thank you! (Believe it or not, it's actually the name of one of Kuwabara's solos... It means "Thank You Forever/Eternity" or something like that!

I got my roll back! Note to self: Yank off that notice or at least update it.

Flashback/End Flashback

This is a songfic chapter!

"Ku-Kurohi...!"

Icy, unfeeling blue sought gold. "He's not dead... yet." He sighed, but smirked. "Well, I'm feeling better. Good thing he'll be dead in a few minutes! That rat of a Tsuki Ryu... All that pain just because he was born! My family would be proud of me!" (A/N: He seems a lot like Maximillian Pegasus from Yu-Gi-Oh! now, doesn't he?)

"What you have done... will never be tolerated if I have anything to say about it!" shouted Koenma in his beautiful teen form. At least HE had his robes on. (A/N: In these circumstances, that is a GOOD thing!)

The rumpled figure on the floor that was Kurohi remained unmoving. Koenma was aware of a faint heartbeat, but even that was dying out. He HAD to figure out how to channel some of his Reiki into his lover before he...

"Oh, it's those friends of his. Looks like we're gonna have a great time, ne!"

Koenma looked up. Seven people set foot just outside the door, in which they stopped in shock. "Guys!"

Angel's gaze locked onto the other Tsuki Ryu. "No..." She tossed off her black robe, revealing three pairs of wings that stretched gloriously toward the ceiling.

Angelique... the Dark Lady!

"Kurohi!" In a matter of six to seven strides, Angel had crouched next to the boy. She touched his feverish shoulder, but went cheated without any form of response. "Kurohi! Wake up!" She gently shook his shoulder, as if he were merely sleeping.

She smelled released blood. Both on the floor and... inside him? She cursed and stood up. "You will pay dearly for your deed! NO ONE harms the only half-eternal Tsuki Ryu!"

"Half-eternal?" asked Yusuke, dashing toward her. He stopped behind her tallish form. "Would this have anything to do with him being a half-god?"

The Dark Lady nodded once. "Yes. His mother was a dear friend of mine, and his father is a God of the Netherworld who specializes in copying others' techniques!" She glanced at Yusuke. "We have some time before Kurohi meets his demise, as he would want a moment or two to be with Koenma. Now, enough talk! I have a little score to settle with you... Shirokoori!"

He withdrew a long blade from his expensive robes and flung them off as well. The action revealed a red undershirt and even redder pants. Angel chuckled. "It looks a hell of a lot like you peed your pants..." She was rewarded with a glare. "in blood, that is!"

To be perfectly honest, Shirokoori... looked kind of... scared.

"I've never been able to beat you, Dark One, so how about if I pit my dragon, Taka, against yo-aaahhhh! DAMMIT TAKA!" There was a white cocoon in the corner of the room. She won't emerge until later today! Fuck! He visibly slumped and then screamed for his life as two fire balls, a rose whip, and a gray dragon came rushing at him. He blocked the flurry with both arms and even blocked Botan's follow-up with his baseball bat.

The "walls" that imprisoned the god fell the second the youkai's focus was diverted, and he scrambled to his lover. He cursed. Up close, he noticed the full power of the injuries... though, they weren't on his skin.

"Guys! Get the Blood Stone back! Whatever you do, DON'T SHATTER IT!" Koenma.

"How could I forget, Koenma! I charted the damn thing!" Angel.

"Okay, okay! We get it!" Yusuke.

/Well aware of it/ Yowaihaiiro.

"How'd YOU get out, DRAGON!"

/Kurohi called me/ replied the soft gray dragon. Her Blood Stone-colored eyes glared at Master's half-brother. /He can only become a form of me, but on my own, I am known as Kaizer Yowaihaiiro/

"Haa... ha, hah... I... knew... it... It.. worked!"

"Kurohi! Don't speak, okay! You're hurt!"

Blue eyes were cracked open. His world was a blur. He smiled lightly. "Heh.. I got.. to see you... one last... time."

"Don't say /last, kudasai!"

"And I... earlier... was the one... begging for... YOUR... life."

He nodded once, hair going slightly out of place. He ran a comforting hand through the silky waves of brown, silver-streaked hair. "I know. I heard."

"..What about... Majari?"

"Majari was sent into the darkness of space for his corrupt deeds... alongside a few others: Yakumo, Raiko, and one or two more I cannot remember. It's been a long time since I ever gazed upon those files... After all, they happened so many years ago. Before you came along."

The boy looked away. He said nothing more. The only noise in their silence the sound of battle behind them and ragged breaths of the one Koenma held in his arms.

For a while, Kurohi didn't mind this position. However, battle called him. He wanted to fight. It was HIS fight, after all!

The male shifted in the grasp he was locked in and tried to sit up but fell back with a short, quiet cry of irritation. His blue gaze flicked to the golden one, and he asked, "You love me, right?"

The god was silent, and decided to channel some Reiki into the other man. This overall silence seemed to tell Kurohi a message, and he, with every strength he held in his wounded form, wrenched himself from his lover's hold and staggered to his feet. He managed to stay up for a half of a second before he fell back on his ass. He hissed at the impact and at his sudden tiredness.

"K-Kurohi! You shouldn't be..."

He twisted his head around and glared, baring his small fangs. He never did this to anyone so close to him in relationships, whether friendship, lovers or anything of the positive sort. "What, in love.. with you! Goddammit, Koenma! I asked... a question! What do I.. get? Silence..."

With that, consciousness eluded him.

"Kurohi... You've seen that I do... but, do you know the full extent..?" Gently, carefully, he pried himself away from his unconscious lover. Not surprisingly Shirokoori was still standing.

"Everyone! Let ME fight!"

It was simple. Koenma'd beat Shirokoori to prove how strongly his love was.

Yusuke and Kuwabara blinked once, then nodded and backed off. Koenma frowned behind his pacifier. He grasped the baby blue object, and everyone else backed off further. Angel scooped up Kurohi to get him out of harm's way.

Then she remembered something.

"Koenma! We didn't manage to get back the Blood Stone...!"

He turned his head, golden eyes burning into her own. His fingertips were still placed onto his pacifier. "I know. Even though the effects of removing this will have... explosive... results, I won't let it harm the Blood Stone. After all, I CAN harness my energies and command them to avoid certain things." He turned to his somewhat silent opponent. "Prepare to meet your demise, Shirokoori!"

With that, he removed the pacifier.

"Shihono'o! Give me strength!" called Ryu Youkai Oji Shirokoori-sama. A bright red and black flame surrounded his form. The blast of Reiki dissipated against that strange barrier.

"You're too late, Koenma. While you were attacking me, I had already placed the Blood Stone into the fire. Kurohi now belongs to me.. body and soul!"

"You're insane... You may have his body and soul, but you don't have his heart!"

"Oh? And where might that be?"

/His./

"How DARE you interrupt, dragon!" The prince seemed to be insane. He wasn't talking to anything, and yet, everyone else could hear something talking back.

/Hmph. At least call me by name./

"Grrrr... fine, Kuraikiri," (A/N: Black no light at all Mist, Black Mist/Light-less Mist) "You goin' against me?"

/I do not appreciate what you have done. I am GOING TO WRING YOUR NECK/ A black dragon burst forth of Shirokoori's clothing. Its red eyes glared down at him. "Master or not, I'm through with you! Hand over the Blood Stone!"

The man reached into the fire, and pulled out a deep, dark red stone. It was almost black in color. "This?"

"...Master, I can't believe you tainted it... Enjeru was right when she said we should be rid of you," uttered a low rumble. A blue-armored dragon that looked humanoid stepped forth from the shadows, fallen by a female angel-like creature.

"We knew you were horrible, but THIS? Preying on a lad who has the same father as you?"

They're all ganging up on me! Dammit! he thought.

The dragons lunged at him.

He flung the Blood Stone, which shattered upon contact with the floor. He made a break for it while the others were distracted.

"KUROHI---!"

11111POVswitch11111

My head felt light for a moment, but then I felt all the feeling rush right back into me. I felt as I had before that dragon had thwacked my head so long ago. My heart still ached, but I felt there was no deterioration in my condition.

It felt safe to open my eyes... so I did. I blinked once, maybe twice. Everything was a blur, as if I was wearing glasses that I never needed. Blinking a third time, I focused on shape. Two more times added shadow and detail, and three times more allowed the smallest of details to come into sharp focus.

I saw Angelique: the Dark Lady and Yusuke above my face and felt highly disappointed. Where was Koenma?

She must have seen the slightest frown on my face and jerked her head toward the door to her back-left. I crawled up, ignoring the others' gasps that I was alive, and dashed off to find my love.

..I can't believe I'm not dead...

What happened?

11111POVswitch11111

We had let him escape, and I loathed that. Not only that, I lost the one person whom I've ever held closest.

Kurohi...

As I gaze at the wonderful sight past the balcony, more tears slid down my face with a good velocity. I felt their tracks and didn't bother wiping them away. More would replace them, anyway. Despite my watching the scenery, all I could see was Kurohi dying before I could answer him.

I wanted to say I loved him beyond compare, and now, it's much too late.

I am outside. The gentle, summer wind brushes against my body as it accidentally bumps into me, and then dances past me. However, I am not intrigued by its dance.

The only "dance" I wish to see is Kurohi's "grand" entrance all over again... when he came into my life.

"Koenma-sama! Hiei-san wishes to speak with you! Urgent!" hollered George, a blue oni. He is one of my closest of them all.

In no time flat, a black-robed figure entered my office, dragging a boy behind him. He was five inches taller than Hiei, and easily peeked at me from behind the fire demon. His large, expressive eyes held mine for a full ten seconds before the other demon cleared his throat.

"If you are done ogling at my /catch, I would like to get this over with."

The boy frowned slightly when he was called a "catch".

"Go on, Hiei."

"I am training this boy under me under orders of Mukuro by tomorrow. He has grown strong with a swiftness that I have never encountered before. Perhaps, when I am done with him at times, you'd like to keep tabs on him?"

"...and make him a Reikai Tantei?"

"Hn. Do what you will to keep tabs on him. He can be very dangerous if his powers are exploited improperly or if he gets angry. I practically took the full brunt of Mukuro when he burned the new carpet to dust."

"What's his name?"

The boy huffed. "I can speak, y'know," he uttered. It was in indignant sound. "Watashi wa Kurohi." His demon tail, which looked like a tiger's, swished agitatedly.

"So, you burned Mukuro-sama's carpet?"

He shrugged. "She pissed me off. What was I supposed to do? Bite myself?"

Hiei stomped Kurohi's foot with he own booted one. The boy hissed, and I saw a flicker behind his shirt.

"What's that, you got there?"

"Ah!" he stuttered. He gently grasped it, as if squeezing it would make it explode or something. "NO TOUCH!"

I raised my hands in defense. "I wasn't gonna! I just wanted to see it."

To my relief, and also, surprise, his expression fell into one of deep calmness. Before I had said anything to him, his eyes had been slanted in anger, and now, they expressed their roundness to the full. He blinked at me twice, and proceeded to look at the far wall. He did not speak.

One word about his eyes: HUGE! They were deep blue sapphire orbs lined with upper lashes that ended in a point near the outermost edges. The outermost edges of his lower lashes ended in two spikes. His face carried the look of a twelve-year-old, but his eyes told of someone older. Much older.

"Kurohi, how old are you?"

"Ahh.. I'm sixty years old."

I nodded once, knowing full well that he was a demon. "What demon are you?"

"I'll have to wait for my memory to return to tell you that. Right now, I don't know. So, are you gonna take me in as a Reikai Tantei?"

I nodded and stamped a few things, tossing them into my "done" stack. "Yes. I'll go take care of that immediately. Is there anything else, Hiei?"

When I received no reply, I looked up. They both were gone.

11111POVswitch11111

The wind brushed against his hair as he left the room, setting the loosened, uneven strands over to one side. He stood on a balcony, watching someone, who didn't look back at him.

Were those.. tears?

His sapphire eyes widened slightly at the question. Why are you crying? Doshite kanashii no? (A/N: Why are you sad?)

He stepped forward with his natural silence. As predicted, the other could not hear him, and with the harsh masking of his youki, no one could sense him that way.

Kurohi felt he lived his life in shadows and he felt that no one would come to like him no matter whose genetics he was infused with.

He mouthed three syllables that looked a lot like "Koenma" before stepping forward. He closed his blue eyes, and reopened them slowly. He let his barriers down again an spoke, "Tears may not suit your face, but they don't interfere with your astounding beauty, koibito."

Koenma jerked his gaze up and turned his head to face the source of the sound completely.

There Kurohi stood, in the center of the balcony, with the most open expression written across his being, particularly in his bright eyes. It was then that his powerful youki rushed past the mask he wore over it, and the boy, no, man, grinned. He stepped forward with the sound of any normal human, just to let the god know he was truly there. He embraced the slightly taller one around his upper back and bent his head down enough to let the god rest his chin on the top of his head. He felt strong arms hold him around the waist, and his tail gave a little twitch at the contact, but otherwise remained calm.

The god spoke first. "I.. I thought you were..."

"Dead?" the man chuckled. "Hell no."

"B-but the Blood Stone..."

"Gone. When placed into the dark flame, it only broke the cursed shackles the dragon had on me."

"Um, what dragon? Your gray dragon?"

"No, no. A dragon I fought when I was twenty. It made a gash in my head and I was cursed to live as far as it would live. I was constantly controlled by the Ryu Youkai VIA Blood Stone, and managed to get to where you are by sheer luck. I'm glad I was trapped in stone for a while... because then... I met, you."

He paused, noting the tension in the other's body. He moved his head so he could look up at Koenma. His eyelids slid down halfway as he reached up and tenderly licked the salty raindrops from those gold eyes, and heard a sigh escape the taller male. He leaned back slightly and uttered, "I'm going no where. And if I know anything, keeping emotions pent-up results in some nasty bouts of insanity... I wouldn't want that same fate to come onto you, so-"

He stopped abruptly and turned his head toward the source in front and below him. Though he couldn't see this opponent, his stomach flopped around. Kurohi's expression hardened and he whispered, "Stay here." He quickly kissed his lover on the lips, gently broke away, and stepped up onto the railing of the balcony. Below, it would seem a five-story drop.

"What are you doing..!" asked Koenma in alarm. Was he going to commit suicide or something!

He turned his head toward his love and smiled. "Saving you, this time." He turned away, but heard his name being called again as a question. He turned his head around.

"I love you."

Kurohi softly smiled. His tail swished gracefully. His eyes well up with tears slightly as he uttered, "I love you, too..."

With that, he jumped.

End Day 17's afternoon

Woooo! My writers block is nearly gone! Domo arigatou gozaimasu min'na! (I hope I said that right.)

R&R!

Started 6/7/03, 9:05AM Finished 6/8/03, 11:56AM


	30. Day 17b Youko Kurohi

10 Years of Waiting  
  
by Kurohi Tatsaki  
  
Day 17b - Youko Kurohi  
  
Disclaimer - I don't own YYH, & never will. After all, I'm not Yoshihiro Togashi. Kurohi, Yamiryuinu, Shirokoori, and all the other original characters *I* and Kohaku Frost come up with are property of Beware of Mage & Tsuki Ryu Productions. Use our characters without permission and we will be pissed. Ask first; I don't think I need to tell anyone how to contact me.  
  
--------------------------------  
  
The rush of air pushed against his hair and body as the ground swiftly, eagerly, came to meet him. His tail lashed behind him in the great wind, and suddenly, the wind became a breeze.  
  
He was perched on a gray mass. His eyes widened. "Baldak!"  
  
"Remember, no can fly?"  
  
He nodded once. "I know I can't fly... but I wasn't falling, either," he replied enigmatically.  
  
"Ground hit you in face, then!"  
  
"I don't need saving! I'm old enough to take care of myself! I will survive!" Kurohi jumped again and landed safely one-story down. He dashed across the land with blinding speed.  
  
He came to a clearing. "Shirokoori, you coward! Come on out peacefully, and MAYBE the court of Reikai will be nice to you!"  
  
//Me? Show myself? You'll have to come and find me!//  
  
"COWARD! FIGHT me at least!"  
  
An undetected mist surrounded the area. Within it stood his half-brother. His leathery, dark wings were spread out, and he looked exhausted. Parts of his clothing was ripped, and around one hand, he held a dark fire.  
  
"The 'Death Flame'...! How did you manage to get it?!"  
  
He pointed a finger at his brother. "You, baka."  
  
The male stepped back. "M-me..? H-how?"  
  
"You forget that all your experiences create a flame that can be removed from the body? Because of everything that happened to you, you created a flame of darkness. It still resides inside you, but it is very weak now... because I hold it here in my right hand! With it, I shall kill you!"  
  
He lunged and aimed a punch to the other's face. It was easily blocked and countered with a swift hook to the enemy's chin. Kurohi followed up with a kick that connected with the underside, and it stretched up, knocking the other off-balance.  
  
With a shriek of anger, Kurohi decked his brother again.  
  
Shirokoori growled and wiped the blood off his mouth with the back of his hand, but that action was cut extremely short when the ground said "hello" to his face. He crouched up and rubbed his ass. "THAT was uncalled for!"  
  
His vision nearly cleared before he was sent flying into a tree by a swift kick to his side. He heard his own body giving in, and he fell to the ground.  
  
"You know it is NOT a crime for a Spirit Detective to kill the criminal, right? Give up immediately, and I'll let you live."  
  
The other man crawled to a sitting position. He looked up, icy eyes fear- filled. He cursed and let his head droop in submission.  
  
"Hand over the Death Flame."  
  
The hand came up, and grasped the other's arm. Kurohi let out a shriek and buckled under an unseen pain. "W-w-what are.. you doing?!!"  
  
The elder brother smirked. "Killing you. Good night.. for good."  
  
"IYA!!" Kurohi bit into his brother's arm, small fangs going straight to the bone. His brother had the desired effect. He unintentionally released the other one.  
  
On all fours, like a wild demon, Kurohi chuckled. "You know I now have Youko in me, right?"  
  
Suddenly, Shirokoori wasn't too thrilled.  
  
Focusing gently, he felt his ears crawl up the sides of his head. His brown hair lightened to a vibrant red, and his tail lost its stripes. It, too, became red. His hair, limp until now, grew just past his shoulder blades, spiked slightly in the back, and took vibrant gold highlights into itself. His features were no longer childish, but reflected the youth of the youko himself. His large eyes paled and shrunk to narrow-almond shapes. Within them, green orbs burst forth. His bangs grew until they touched the ends of his chin and his side locks became long enough to join the mass of hair behind him.  
  
His clothing changed into a black tunic with a red sash. The tunic left his shoulders bare, and one could see the dragon tattoo still there.  
  
Pulling a rose from his hair, he held it close to his face. He channeled his youki into it, and cried, "Rose Whip!"  
  
The petals fluttered away, scenting the area. The stem elongated and grew more thorns along its green length. The youko's eyes were half-veiled behind still long lashes. The look was enthralling.  
  
"For trying to kill me," he purred. "mercy is not an option. Good-bye..." He lunged, that strange, sexy look still in his eyes. That look burned with a quiet rage. "Kagon-retsuzanshi!!"  
  
The whip flurried in many directions, and the look in the Youko's eyes was the last thing he saw.  
  
His brother slumped to the ground, unconscious. Kurohi chuckled in his deepened voice. "I'm just kidding. I just wanted to scare you. After all, half of you is my own flesh and blood, half-brother." The Rose Whip became a rose and he hid it in his fiery red mane.  
  
"Kurohi! Kurohi!!"  
  
The part Youko creature turned around at the sound of his name. He hoisted his half-brother up on one shoulder and proceeded to follow the call. Koenma, in toddler form, was the first thing he saw.  
  
"Kuro-" His gold eyes blinked in disbelief. "You're not Kurohi... are you?"  
  
Kurohi smiled, but it seemed sensual, slow. "Hai. It's me all right. Yusuke!" He offered the burden to the other man, who hoisted the demon over one shoulder.  
  
"I'm surprised you didn't kill him."  
  
"I don't want to be a murderer. I'm better than he is. He is only unconscious."  
  
"You look like... me, Kurohi..."  
  
He grinned. "Oi, I *DID* say I was part Youko! Gimme some credit, will ya? Ah? Angel?" He blinked his green eyes twice. "Ah... hehe.. Look, guys.."  
  
"You were CRAZY back there!! You coulda killed him!"  
  
"It's not MY fault I wanted revenge! He hurt my koibito!"  
  
"Well, if you hadn't been so bent up on REVENGE, maybe things would've turned out better!!"  
  
"Then YOU try next time!"  
  
"Fine! I will!"  
  
"Your diaper stinks!"  
  
"So does yours!!"  
  
"I'm not WEARING one!"  
  
Angel was clothed in her robes... but they were waaay too big for her. One small, slightly chubby fist shook in the air as she squabbled with the toddler form of Koenma.  
  
Koenma, while throwing out retorts at the chibi-fied Dark Lady, bit down hard on his blue binky before tossing her the raspberry.  
  
"Anyway! HIEI!!"  
  
Hiei frowned down at her youngest form. "What?"  
  
"I need a... diaper change."  
  
"You can't order me around, y'know. Get someone else," replied the Jaganshi boredly. For once, he was horrified that he was taller than the chibi.  
  
"I'll do it!" chimed Botan.  
  
"You're FIRED Hiei!" shouted the child.  
  
Hiei shrugged, "Okay," and went to cuddle up a little with Kurama.  
  
"You're not supposed ta say 'Okay'!! You're supposed to come crawlin' back and beggin' to stay in my service!!!! HI-------EI-------!!!"  
  
Botan scooped up the Dark Lady, grinning like an idiot, and pranced off somewhere else to change the diaper.  
  
Kurohi frowned slightly, and, still Youko, hoisted the god into his arms with a sigh. "I don't know about you, but I've had enough for one day, ne Koenma-chan?" He tiredly nuzzled his nose against the juncture connecting the god's upper neck and chin, right against the pulse.  
  
Koenma sighed and nestled himself more firmly against his lover's chest. "Yeah... I'm just glad you're okay."  
  
Kurohi reverted to his normal demon form and plopped down gently on the grass. His black-striped tail came forth and wrapped around them both, the end of the tail stopping just below the small of his own back. He dosed lightly, the pains and fatigue of the earlier day catching up to him.  
  
Unknown to him, Botan and Angel reemerged from elsewhere. Botan was skipping and Angel was grinning smugly. The former person held up an herb in his free hand. "A cure to my curse! Angel, will it allow me to shift forms?"  
  
Chibi Angel nodded once. "When used right, yes."  
  
Botan grinned. "YAAAAAAY!"  
  
This outburst awoke the lightly sleeping Kurohi. He growled something that sounded a lot like, "Go fuck yer spoon, Botan..." before he fell back, sleeping quite soundly.  
  
End Day 17  
  
OMG! I finished it in one day!! Um, now I really don't have a huge clue what to do next...  
  
I was trying hard not to crack up while I typed out that Koenma/Angel bickering match. I had an audience watching TV out here in the living room. ^_^" Anyway, I'm also doing a picture of Kurohi in his Youko form. Wanna see? I should be done by tomorrow morning or sometime tonight!  
  
R&R!  
  
Started 6/6/03, 12:54PM Finished 6/8/03, 9:21PM 


	31. Day 18a Calm

10 Years of Waiting  
  
by Kurohi Tatsaki  
  
Day 18a - Calm  
  
Disclaimer - I don't own YYH, & never will. After all, I'm not Yoshihiro Togashi. Kurohi, Yamiryuinu, Shirokoori, and all the other original characters *I* and Kohaku Frost come up with are property of Beware of Mage & Tsuki Ryu Productions. Use our characters without permission and we will be pissed. One thing's for sure: I'm thankful for copy and paste! There's no WAY I'm going to rewrite this whole disclaimer over and over again!  
  
--------------------------------  
  
He felt warm.. safe. He was curled against something... living... breathing... The male opened his eyes and gazed at the smaller one spooned against him. The first thing that met his eyes, however, were the soft, long tendrils of jet-black hair.  
  
Kurama sighed and slightly leaned forward to better feel the demon's warmth. No nightmares, but it was really early, and pretty cold in his room. But if he turned on the heater, not only would the heat be unbearable in an hour or two, but he would wake his precious fire demon.  
  
Not a good thing. When woken up, the little youkai sometimes acted nasty.  
  
This time around, this wasn't the case.  
  
"Mm.. Kurama, what are you doing up...?"  
  
"...I dunno.. I just, woke up."  
  
Hiei gently turned around and gazed at his youko with a tired and slightly concerned look. "Nightmare?"  
  
The fox smiled slightly. "No. There is no way I could ever have a nightmare in your presence." He held the fire demon closer against him, eyes half- lidded with sleepy adoration.  
  
The youkai didn't stiffen nor pull away and let his fox embrace him. "...Kurama..."  
  
"Mmm?"  
  
The fire hanyou merely sighed and started to drift off to sleep again, leaving a well awake youko behind. He flicked his tongue against his dry lips and took up staring at the five-foot-two demon nestled closely against his body.  
  
Kurama snort-sighed and closed his eyes, hoping the bliss of sleep would take him away again.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
A black tunic was snatched up from the ground and tossed onto a sleek, weary form. A red sash was tied at the front just as a striped tail poked through the hole in the rear. He turned his head to the figure sleeping peacefully on the bed. As much as he would have loved to stick around, he needed to get his clothes back out of the Makai castle.  
  
He sighed tiredly, the mere breath tightening his throat like a noose. His teeth bared themselves on their own accord at the unwanted sensation and he strode over to the god, still sleeping.  
  
'Koenma...' Blue eyes, half-veiled, roved over his lover's naked body. He had not forgotten the promise, and, despite BOTH their fatigues, he had been determined to get his promise after long last... or, at least, it seemed like a helluva lot like a long time.  
  
He suddenly remembered the night of the rain and wind. The night he had felt that no fire would come to warm him. He still felt the pains of rejection very sharply to this day, and it insisted on residing in his heart. Kurohi couldn't forget, and wouldn't, either. After proclaiming his love, he remembered things he wished that he could forget so absently in his youth. According to Tsuki Ryu standards, he still WAS young. Their physical age portrayed exactly how old they were, but their time-wise age...  
  
The youth was the only male Tsuki Ryu, a Forbidden child, just like Hiei, Kurohi and that demon knew pain. Their lives were so similar..  
  
Unlike this.. god from the heavens that had been the first to ever love him.  
  
A thought struck him. He'd go see Dark Lady... despite the fact that she was in infant form now.. but that wouldn't affect her mentality.. much.  
  
He was struck with the common image of a pissed off Angel fuming at Hiei for "peeking" while he had been changing one of her diapers and literally FLAMING the furniture to... well, the particles were so small, he couldn't place the word, and ASHES wasn't it. No, they had been burned so much, the word "ashes" was too big a word to use... But what else was smaller than a particle of ash?  
  
A faint sigh ripped its way into his thoughts, forcing his eyes to come back into focus and see the sole object of his deepest heartfelt, and sexual affections.  
  
Koenma stirred, as if just now noticing the lack of warmth behind him, and his gold eyes fluttered open.  
  
The action had an effect Kurohi vaguely didn't want to show at the moment. Damn his over zealous libido!  
  
Jeez, even the action of WAKING aroused the lad.  
  
"Kurohi.. what are you doing up...?"  
  
The boy blinked. "Ahh... I want my old clothes back?" he asked sheepishly.  
  
"Oh, that, Angel the Dark Lady has them. Go get them later. Come back to bed..."  
  
The part-youko youkai sighed. "If I did, do you know what I might end up doing to you?"  
  
The god blinked. "Hard already?"  
  
The boy - yes - boy, frowned cutely and tiredly. He nodded.  
  
Koenma stood up and removed the red sash, letting the cloth flutter somewhere in the room. The tunic was removed carefully enough so the fabric wouldn't be ripped, and he led Kurohi back into the warm bed and showed him four, well-made ropes...  
  
"Then, let us take care of that problem."  
  
Kurohi blinked once and drooled.  
  
***  
  
A youki touched my senses and despite that, I sipped gently at some of my coffee. My spiky-haired angel treaded down the stairs and plopped himself down at the table, leaning his head into one hand, propped up by one elbow.  
  
"Mornin' sweety."  
  
"Hn," he greeted. One corner of his mouth was turned into a pleasant smirk.  
  
"Slept well?"  
  
"Besides you waking me up? Yeah." He sniffed the air and wrinkled his nose. "How can you DRINK that stuff? It doesn't even smell sweet!"  
  
"Add milk and sugar and it tastes pretty good," I said, bluntly indicating that adding those two ingredients to black coffee would better suit my fire demon's sweet tooth. (A/N: I've had coffee like that before! Yumm...) "Almost as sweet as sweet-snow."  
  
Hiei perked up slightly, but shrugged noncommittally and snorted. "I'm not thirsty. Maybe another time."  
  
I nodded once and sipped again, the caffeine already getting to me. I didn't drink the stuff much because I didn't want to become addicted to it, but it was a nice way to wake up fully when I woke up sleepy.  
  
I yawned anyway. My mind was still pretty tired. Sleep hadn't been welcoming ever since I woke up at three in the morning.  
  
"Didn't you go back to sleep, fox?"  
  
I slowly shook my head and chuckled. "Sleep didn't want me, so I got up a bit before you did."  
  
"Hn. No wonder your reiki didn't change."  
  
"..You were still up?"  
  
"Hn. Yes. You know I wake up around that time if I can help it, right? Watashi wa ningen nai." (A/N: Did I get that right? I meant for him to say, "I'm no human")  
  
I sighed and rested my head in my arms, casting my gaze to my right. I yawned once again and snuggled further into the crook of my left arm and atop my right hand. My eyes fluttered closed of their own accord and I vaguely detected a presence at my side. It did not move or speak. I knew who it was.  
  
Wetness on the tip of my nose... Hiei?  
  
"Hn. Of course it's me, baka. Who else?"  
  
I must have said that aloud. I decided not to reply for a moment, but eventually let one eye open. Hiei was sitting on the couch, looking out the window. I knew he saw nothing, for he usually was lost in his own thoughts.  
  
I liked the way the light flickered against his long black hair, causing it to shine in one place and spread, revealing bluish highlights. The short white starburst, though only half-visible to me, gave off silver highlights.  
  
Beautiful...  
  
He suddenly turned to me, one eyebrow arched in question. His eyes burned at mine with a slightly curious flame. "Hn? Kurama, did you say something...?"  
  
I eyed him lazily and shrugged a little. "I don't know."  
  
He frowned cutely and blinked. He turned away.  
  
Hiei...  
  
I sighed and stood up kind of noisily. I strode over to my demon and sat down near him, peering over his shoulder as he sat, cross-legged, on the living room's windowsill. I set my eyes onto his own, seeing as they stared at the outdoors with a guarded façade over them. This façade hid his true emotions, and a pastime as of late for me was to unlock these walls.  
  
"Hiei?"  
  
"Hn?"  
  
"Look, I'm sorry if I've been muttering things.. it must be because I've been up about as long as you. This is one way that I do not like my human reincarnation."  
  
He quickly looked back at me. He hadn't ever heard of me complain about my human form. "Despite its flaws, it's very befitting of a youko as you."  
  
I smiled a little and rested my head against one lithe shoulder. I fell into a light doze.  
  
End Day 18's morning  
  
I was **********THIS********** close to killin' fanfiction.net! I couldn't upload for **5** days! GRRRRRRRRRRRR!!  
  
This chappie's form is kinda rough, so I'm planning on adding things and smoothing other stuff out. If anyone has ANY ideas for some pastimes for the YYH Gang to go on, pleaz tell me?  
  
R&R!  
  
Started 6/9/03, 1:46PM Finished 6/14/03(?) 


	32. Day 18b Yaoi Fluff

10 Years of Waiting  
  
by Kurohi Tatsaki  
  
Day 18b - Yaoi Fluff  
  
Disclaimer - I don't own YYH, & never will. After all, I'm not Yoshihiro Togashi. Kurohi, Yamiryuinu, Shirokoori, and all the other original characters *I* and Kohaku Frost come up with are property of Beware of Mage & Tsuki Ryu Productions. Use our characters without permission and we will be pissed. One thing's for sure: I'm thankful for copy and paste! There's no WAY I'm going to rewrite this whole disclaimer over and over again!  
  
Scarby - In the start of the series, I've heard Hiei is 24 years old (according to this FAQ I found on the Philippine Version), so that would make him 36. (The series lasted 2 anime time years) Kurama is 28 (Wow! **Younger** than Hiei!) Yusuke and Kuwabara are both 26. Yukina is 36. I don't know Botan or Koenma's ages. According to this fic I read by Bulma Briefs, she has a fic that is SIMILAR to mine (it was a main inspiration after the first few Days) that centers solely on Kurama and Hiei, and in it, Genkai was still alive, so in my fic, she's alive, too. As for Hiei hearing Kurama's thoughts, Kurama's actually uttering them by accident cuz he's so tired. Kurama teaches Biology at Meiou High School. Kuwabara's a Scientist (remember: he said this in an early episode during the first season at the start of the Yukina mission). Yukina is a healer in the Reikai. Koenma and Botan's Jobs remain the same. Yusuke still fights - I have yet to decide if he's gonna be a cop or in some sort of profession in Ningenkai or Reikai.. perhaps I'll have him buff up the guards around the Reikai Palace? Angel doesn't have to work worth crap. She's filthy rich and has servants all over the place. Angel has no interest in raising children. Azura is a companion that comes and goes, just like Kurohi, but she stays more often than not. She's crazy about kids and just loves to play with them. Tag and Hide 'n' Seek are her favorite games. In their spare time...  
  
Kurama writes poetry (mostly about Hiei) and tends to his plants.  
  
Hiei lounges around in trees or on Kurama's bed. He still retains his like to kill of demons when he's bored, however, it has been watered-down because of his work with Mukuro.  
  
Yusuke and Kuwabara spar with each other. (Yusuke remains undefeated)  
  
Yukina cheers for Kuwabara, but he still loses.  
  
Kurohi lounges in a tree, thinking of many ways of seduction or erotic pleasure for Koenma. *snickers* He likes to look at various dragon-based jewelry/clothing. (necklaces, bracelets, earrings, shirts etc...) He has this love song in his head, but it has no words. It's kinda slow, but it has happy and sad turns. I am currently coming up with the lyrics.  
  
Ramen - ^_^ Yeah, I got sick of highly pessimistic fanfics with no ending or humor so I wrote this! Haha!  
  
JinE4 - I haven't been able to find anything more to make a vote on. How about things to do?  
  
Storm - I know what you mean, but I think I intended just to let that one bit of him show up - that he was half fire demon, but not necessarily half human. I guess "hanyou" is my own personal reference to half-something, hence "fire hanyou" which, according to my lala land vocabulary, means "Half fire demon" but the other half isn't necessarily human, and "hankoorime" is half-koorime, but what kind of word is that? Especially if used over and over again? Also, I don't mind multiple reviews from one person on the same chapter if you've left something out by accident and wanted to fill it in or add on to it. ^_^ Oh, and thanks for the URL to that site! I'm gonna look at it right now! (6/23/03)  
  
--------------------------------  
  
Kurohi was humming something to himself while scribbling marks onto a paper in front of him.  
  
"Whatcha doin' love?"  
  
Kurohi snapped out of his trance. "Em?"  
  
Koenma smiled slightly. "I'm willing to hear if you could sing that," he said, referring to his humming.  
  
"Aahh, I need to work on the lyrics some."  
  
"Well, whatcha have so far?"  
  
Kurohi blinked at his paper. "Aaah, I have... (A/N: The following lyrics were created by ME, so if there are any errors in grammar or whatnot, I'm very sorry! I'm still learning and am going by the dictionary. Plus, what I have gotten down so far is subject to change.)  
  
"U-mi to kaze ga, watashi ore yo-ru...  
  
(The water and wind was harsh to me that night...)  
  
"Watashi ma-da, omo-idasu to issho ni, ko-ko-ro..  
  
(I still remember, with a heavy heart,)  
  
"Shippaita ko-koro~ miru no LOVE  
  
(Failed attempts of love)  
  
"Yowasa no, ko,ko,ro...  
  
(Weakness of heart)  
  
"Boku ni chigainai nokoru tsuyoi yo"  
  
(I must remain strong!)  
  
"Ai desu ore tsukuru, boku wa kokoro, hyoushi mugamushuu"  
  
(It's love that makes, my heart beat wild)  
  
"Ai desu ore tamosu boku ikteiru"  
  
(It's love that keeps me alive)  
  
"Itsuka iku sura nai, kudasai itsuka iru suru nai yo"  
  
(Don't ever go, please don't ever go!)  
  
"Anata dake, shougai boku, motteiru nokori"  
  
(Only you are the life I have left.)  
  
The teen looked up from the paper and into Koenma's eyes. He blinked once and slight coloring went across his upper cheeks.  
  
The god chuckled as he peeked over his love's shoulder. His gaze went back to the bright blue one. "Hey, it's okay. Is that what went through your head, even now?"  
  
The Tsuki Ryu leaned against his lover and turned his head upward. His hair was still out of its magnificent spikes and was tied back into a tight ponytail close to his head. Some silver strands still tried to spike of their own accord, but some failed miserably. Kurohi remained silent a moment before nodding his head slightly.  
  
"Well, yeah," he said softly, eyes sliding shut. "It's not easy being born into a race that hates your guts just because you were born... I felt that I had to be stronger than I was capable of. Hiei and I are nearly alike in this category, y'know.  
  
"Also, if you consider that when I had that pendant, that if it fell into the wrong hands, I could most definitely..."  
  
"I know. I saw the whole thing. I'm sorry you had to suffer because of me."  
  
Kurohi started the purring thing again. "I don't regret my actions, Koenma- chan. Ai desu. That's why I did that."  
  
"Kurohi, if you start that up again I might need you to take care of a big problem."  
  
The tailed one bopped the slightly taller male lightly with one open hand. His eyes opened part-way. "Ara, anata! Do you know how many days I had to go withOUT that leisure?"  
  
Koenma groaned. "I would have died without that."  
  
"Try about seven decades," replied Kurohi, snorting slightly. Seven decades without a single shag had been meaningless to the demigod. After all, the only thing he felt his whole live wasn't even as meager as affection, and the only liking he found was Angel, whom was practically untouchable, and then, later, Koenma himself.  
  
"Sheeze."  
  
He recalled, thirteen days, almost half a month ago, he remembered in detail what it had been like to be laid, what it had been like to awaken in someone's loving arms, and more importantly of all, what love was like.  
  
It was a bitch at first, but it eventually sweetened up and the next thing you knew, it'd kill you if you ever tried to get rid of it.  
  
Then again, why would he want to rid himself of something that stopped most things bad to ever happen to him? It also seemed to help Koenma, too. He wasn't as uptight, and the slightest wink from Kurohi caused the god to blush.  
  
San...  
  
Ni...  
  
He looked cute then, in any form, but downright sexy when he...--  
  
Ichi...  
  
--had a light sheen of...--  
  
"I got another idea. Wanna go at it?" Kurohi asked.  
  
"Sure!"  
  
~~~~~~  
  
Kurama...  
  
I glance down at his sleeping form against my shoulder, and then to the sky through the window. The sun is slowly +setting; I should probably get my fox in bed. Things have been busy with saving our friend - my student - from the clutches of that insane brother of his, that almost inari-awful wedding, and my student's love life.  
  
Carefully, I shift slightly, and lift him up. I support his back with my right hand, letting him lean against my chest. My other arm supports him under his knees, and I take him upstairs to his room. Setting him on the bed, I flick a bang out of my eyes. I sit on the edge of the bed near him, gazing upon his youthful face.  
  
After a few moments, I turn back to the window in fox's room. The sun has nearly set. I gently shake the redhead awake. "Kurama..."  
  
"Mmm...?" His emerald eyes slide open and they lock with mine. He yawns and stretches. "Nani...?"  
  
"Look." I turn my gaze over to the window. I hear him sit up and turn on the bed to see what it was I saw.  
  
"Pretty..." I felt his head connect gently with my shoulder. Absently, I ran my fingers through those silky locks.  
  
I observed the bright colors of the sky. If you asked me about it ten years ago, even twelve, I wouldn't have cared.  
  
I felt a hand pull apart my hair-tie, and felt my long hair fall against my back, stopping near the middle. I looked at Kurama confusedly, sensing one bunch of shorter hair draping kindly across one shoulder.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
I gazed back at those lately-expressive ruby eyes. My left hand tenderly grasped the tendrils of hair that had flopped over Hiei's right shoulder. I held his left biceps and leaned up and pulled him in for a gentle kiss. I felt his arms slowly hold my waist and he kissed back. I slowly pulled back after a moment before the kiss could go out of control.  
  
I spoke softly, "Hiei, ai shiteiru zutto."  
  
He smiled lightly. "Hn. Love you too, fox."  
  
"It's getting late, will you sleep with me?"  
  
His arms, still around my waist, pulled me down with him. My head ended up atop his chest and I could easily pick up his demon heartbeat. I chuckled. "I wonder what 'Kaasan would say..."  
  
"If she's an understanding woman, she will accept this. Not only that, her 'control' over you is gone, if I am correct about the ningen age rules before they are, officially, adults."  
  
"Hmm, because 'Kaasan, little Shuuichi, and my step-father will be here tomorrow or the day after that, as she left the day before you came here."  
  
His chest vibrated slightly as he made a contemplative, "Hmm", noise.  
  
I chuckled again. "Now I know how you felt twelve years ago."  
  
"Ah?"  
  
I nodded against his chest and snuggled there. I felt his hands roam through my hair and I purred at the sensation. "Yes, you used to come only up to my chest on me... well, at least the tips of your hair... which always smelled so nice..."  
  
~~~~~~  
  
The demon paused. "Lemme guess, you never wanted to tell me because you were afraid I'd run?" That's usually what he did anyway, to most of his personal problems. Any other ones, he'd either kill the antagonist or not answer at all.  
  
"Mm-hm. I didn't want to risk our friendship." The fox was constantly afraid that one slip-up would ruin his life with - or even near - the half fire demon, half koorime beauty. Well, his beauty could also be translated to "gorgeous" but that wasn't much different, right? Besides, at the time, he couldn't just say, "Hi Hiei, did you know you're a gorgeous demon? Could you mate with me? Please?" It would be an insult to his demon and make him look like a careless Youko. Besides, the death of Kuronue was more than enough burdens to bear.  
  
Kuronue had, despite his dying, Makai Bamboo-pierced body, urged Kurama to run to save his own life from those guards.  
  
The fox Youko Kurama AND the human part of him, Shuuichi Minamino, would not be careless with ANYONE ever again.  
  
"And, if I try to think back on it, our friendship would probably have been ruined." Yes, Hiei remembered his old life in tremendous detail. It was all battle and nothing else. Sure, he had had a few ties with Yusuke and especially Kurama, and, for a time, he started a relationship with Mukuro soon after he met her, but, somewhere, in his heart, he didn't love her like he did someone else. He had declined all her "offerings", stating that his half-frozen heart had "gone to seek someone it loved". Unfortunately, he had endured a few bruises, sprains and fractures because of his pretty speech.  
  
Some silence took up speech's place. Kurama found himself dozing off again. Hiei sensed this and started to shift the red-head's body to a more comfortable position, but he was quickly interrupted by said red-head.  
  
"No... if it's all right, can I just remain here?" he asked softly. He was so tired, and just didn't want to move away from his koibito.  
  
The fire demon simply wrapped his arms around the other's waist and closed his eyes. Sleep veiled them both in a heavy, gentle fog.  
  
End Day 18  
  
My writers' block came back tenfold because of my jumbled up obsessions. One minute I'm intrigued by a Digimon fic I did that is collecting dust, and the next I'm in my Harry Potter section! Could you great reviewers come up with some things to do for the YYH gang? Because, to be honest, I'm practically fresh out... except for maybe this one idea:  
  
They go to a zoo - I think it would be a humorous idea but if I use that I'm not sure how or when to set it into play. It'd probably be a helluva long chapter, too. I think Hiei would be tempted to beat the shit out of anything that pissed him off, but good thing Kurama'd be there!  
  
*********  
  
Okay, here are my latest notes (6/27/03): My various obsessions are gone, but will flit everywhere every now and then. I may start the sequel, but I would have to start doing some transcripts of Poltergeist Report, and that takes time even though I'm a fast typist (40-60 WPM). I'm sorry for the wait, but for a while, I couldn't finish this chapter, and if I don't do something to this fic's later chapters soon, the wait will only increase. Gomen nasai.  
  
R&R!  
  
Started 6/14/03, 7:21PM Finished 6/27/03 10:43PM  
  
Rambles of 6/27/03: I had a harsh time yesterday an' I'm sore all over (I pulled just about every muscle in my body)! Me an' a hentai friend of mine played tag (I'm almost always "it" & my friend &brothers trick me all the time into being confused who's "it" & who's not! Not only that, I need ta work on my stamina!) & when I hugged him g'bye since he was goin' somewhere with a group (I won't say where), he tried to take off my BRA!!! I KNEW I shouldn't've let 'im look @ my Inu-Yasha Vol. 1 Manga!! He was actin' like Miroku! 


	33. Day 19 My Dad of the Meikai!

10 Years of Waiting  
  
by Kurohi Tatsaki  
  
Day 19 - My Dad of the Meikai!  
  
Disclaimer - I don't own YYH, & never will. After all, I'm not Yoshihiro Togashi. Kurohi, Yamiryuinu, Shirokoori, & all the other original characters *I* & Kohaku Frost come up with are property of Beware of Mage & Tsuki Ryu Productions. Use our characters without permission & we will be pissed. One thing's for sure: I'm thankful for copy & paste! There's no WAY I'm going to rewrite this whole disclaimer over & over again!  
  
************ Flashbacks beginning/end  
  
--------------------------------  
  
A fist rapped against the door. "Angel-samaaa~! You home?!"  
  
A tired, FEMALE Botan sleepily opened the door. She yawned. "Hi, Kurohi."  
  
He raised an eyebrow. "Hn. You actually got your old body back."  
  
"I can change between genders," she corrected. "Angel's down for a nap. Can you come by later?"  
  
The boy snorted. 'She acts as if I'm a five-year-old who wants to play.' "I wasn't planning on it. I just want my old clothes back," he replied, motioning his Youko tunic. "I really don't think I can run around Ningenkai like this."  
  
"Oh! They're in the wash, come on in, then. It shouldn't be much longer." The oar-rider yawned again.  
  
Kurohi sat himself on one of the non-charred chairs and flicked his tail out of the way. 'I think *someone* had a spastic fit,' he mentally commented, seeing a pile of splinters and ashes. 'Thank Kami-sama that she wasn't severely pissed, especially in baby form!'  
  
He smelled something from the kitchen, and marched his way in. Botan was in there, grabbing an open bag of chocolates. She put one in her mouth and saw Kurohi in the doorway, looking at, not her, but the chocolate. She pulled some out and offered it to him.  
  
The lad was there just as fast as Hiei. He took the chocolates, snickered, and popped more than one into his mouth.  
  
Botan raised one slender eyebrow. "What IS it with you and chocolate?"  
  
He swallowed the chocolate bits. "Whatcha mean?" He popped another one into his mouth and suckled on it, leaning against the counter.  
  
"Do you get sugar rushes or something...?"  
  
"Not often. I have to have a LOT of sugar in order to go hyper, but the rush is highly controllable. All it is is extra energy." He blinked. "Waitasecond! How much sugar's in these things?!?!" he demanded quickly.  
  
"Um, a lot."  
  
He blinked at the remaining melting chocolate in his hand and licked it clean, quickly stuffing each digit in his mouth one by one to retrieve any remaining melted chocolate. He growled as one of his small fangs nicked his finger, and he sucked the blood clean before he absently wiped it off the side of his tunic.  
  
Botan was staring.  
  
Kurohi blinked and raised an eyebrow. "What?"  
  
She shook her head. "Nothing. I'm gonna check on your clothes, then meet me in the Reikai."  
  
"Doshite? I just left there a bit ago."  
  
"Koenma contacted me this afternoon..."  
  
'Probably when I was on my way over here...'  
  
"...and he said that there was some suspicious activity going on in outer- space that no human can detect."  
  
"Except us," finished the boy.  
  
"Yes. He suspects that whatever it is will show up in a few days, so there is time to prepare and rest up."  
  
Kurohi frowned. "Shit, I just get back from hell and now we have a job coming up?!" His palm hit his forehead as he threw his head backward. "My, god! Is there no end to it all?!" he complained.  
  
He felt a hand clamp over his mouth, and Botan hissed, "Angel-chan ga nemururu! Urusei yo!"  
  
The half-god pried her hand away. "I KNOW Angel-sama's sleeping! You should NOT tell ME what to do!"  
  
She snorted. "Anyway, you know those heavy rains we've been having? Well, it seems that in a few days, it will pick up again. We think this has something to do with..."  
  
Blue eyes widened. "It has something to do with WHAT?! Tell me!"  
  
"The Meikai."  
  
A sideways gaze was awarded to the oar-rider. "...Netherworld?"  
  
"How about this, we go to Koenma's and he and I'll explain things," the woman suggested.  
  
Kurohi nodded. "Hai. Oh, and, Botan?"  
  
"Hm?"  
  
He smiled, despite the suspicious events beginning. "I'm glad we're on the same side."  
  
She blinked. Where had that statement come from?  
  
***  
  
"We're here, Koenma-sama," uttered Botan, walking alongside the tailed boy.  
  
"Hi, Koenma-koi!" he chirped. "Now, can you both please explain to me the Meikai?"  
  
"My father defeated them long ago. The Meikai used to be parallel to the Makai, just like Reikai is to Ningenkai. However, when father defeated them, he thrust them into the confines of space. Those are only the basics of the story. However, the heavy rain thirteen days ago is not natural, and may be associated with Yakumo, King of the Meikai."  
  
"Ya..kumo..." muttered Kurohi. He frowned slightly at the word.  
  
"You know of him?"  
  
"I don't think so," he replied to the god.  
  
"Last I saw, he had three gods with him: Raiko, Nueki (A/N: Made-up name, since he doesn't have one, it seems.) and Majari."  
  
Kurohi's eyes widened. "Wha... Ma..ja... Majari..." He paused, eyes huge. He unexpectedly slammed his hands onto the desk. "MAJARI?!?!"  
  
If Koenma was expecting anything, he didn't expect his lover to go ballistic. This was certainly a first. He didn't know what to say, except, "What's wrong with a name?"  
  
The boy blinked. "What do you mean?" He seemed a bit hopeful. "Majari's my dad, for crying out loud!"  
  
"Your father is a criminal??"  
  
The lad sighed and shrugged. "I don't know. I never met him in person, but mother told me a lot about him. After all, that would explain that I said my first words the day I was born. My first word was, "'Negai, my version of 'please,' at the time. And when I finally succeeded my exam, I realized that I could change... literally."  
  
************  
  
I saw the large, red dragon again. I turned to the elder.  
  
"So, you think you can beat it THIS time?"  
  
"I WILL beat it!" I clenched my fists for a moment and released my claws. The powerful paw came down and I flipped elegantly out of the way to one side. Another came at me, and I rolled, jumping back up at the last minute as the tail came downward. I leapt on its back, vaulted under it, and slashed it on the neck.  
  
It growled as blood dribbled from the wound, splattering on my face. I had missed the jugular.  
  
The face came near me and fire came at me. I dodged to one side - my left - and felt talons hit me in the side, knocking me all the way to the other side of the large room. I yelped as my body connected with the hard wall, and I grunted as I hit the floor. The dragon approached me, and I felt something tug at me. I felt pissed.  
  
Severely pissed.  
  
I sat up, and felt something cooler hit my back, spreading like silk and draping over my shoulders.  
  
Hair...  
  
BLUE hair.  
  
"Nani.. WHOA!!" I jumped back and thrust my palm out. Flames shot from the flesh of my hand. The dragon growled at me and its eyes glowed.  
  
I ceased my attack, landing daintily on the ground. I took this moment to feel myself out. My bodily structure hadn't changed, but my hair was long and blue. My skin was paler, and I took on a new armor.  
  
The red dragon howled, sending violent rushes of energy at me. They flew from all around him and tore up the ground. They came up at me. I gazed at this attack, jumped sideways, out of the way, and sent it right back at him from my palm.  
  
I was very surprised when the smoke cleared.  
  
The dragon was dead.  
  
The elder, old and wrinkled, frowned at me. "You actually beat the Dragon of the fires of Hell... As much as I hate to say it, you passed."  
  
The elder limped to a compartment in the floor and lifted it. She pulled out a sword with a stone-colored dragon's head on the hilt. She held it near me by the sheath. "This is the Hell's Dragon Sword. If you can heal from a the fatal blow that I will deal to you, you are destined for this sword."  
  
"Something tells me that girls don't get this sword."  
  
"It can only be held by the handle by men. Now, take off the armor on your chest."  
  
I frowned, but complied.  
  
"Turn around."  
  
Again, I complied, and heard a noise from my chest. I saw the now-jagged sword sticking out from me. A split second later, I felt a horrible pain in my chest and coughed blood. I staggered to my knees and glared at her and her bloodied, jagged blade. "Damn, you!" I spat. I winced when I moved. I couldn't take this too much longer.  
  
Wait, was it just me, or...  
  
"I thought you said it cannot be handled by women?!"  
  
"I didn't touch the handle. I moved it telekinetically."  
  
I growled. Something tickled my body and I looked at my hands. They slowly tanned to their normal color. The blood stopped gushing; the wound was gone. I glared at the woman.  
  
She sheathed the sword and handed it to me by the covering. I drew it and swung it around experimentally. I cleansed the blade on my already bloody tunic and sheathed it again.  
  
Next what I would have to face, would be the Ceremony of Parting.  
  
After all, he was now, officially, banished.  
  
************  
  
"When I transform, I look a lot like Majari. Mother even told me about him. Why wouldn't I know about him?"  
  
"What, now he has another form?" muttered Botan sarcastically.  
  
His gaze flicked to the blue-haired oar-rider. "My only true alter form," Kurohi cut abruptly. "Anyway, Koenma-koi, how much time to we have?"  
  
"Two days."  
  
The boy nodded. Botan, seeing the meeting was over, took her leave back to Angel's place.  
  
Kurohi continued his gazing at the toddler. "You almost done with that work?"  
  
"You have a never-ceasing libido?" kindly retorted Koenma.  
  
The blue-eyed one shrugged. "Sometimes."  
  
"Like now?"  
  
"I plan on taking a cold shower. I'm pretty drained from last time. Besides, I wanna come up with other ways before things get repetitive." He stood up and strode next to the god. He whispered seductively, "After all, we have an eternity of life remaining for us, and I want it to be the best damn eternity we've ever run into."  
  
The teen smiled sexily (A/N: How could he do that with such a cute face?) as he took note of a shiver spiraling down his lover's spine.  
  
"You tease," he chided gently.  
  
"Oi, it's what I do."  
  
"I know. Look, if you be a good puppy, I'll get this work done faster and we'll get some alone-time tonight."  
  
Kurohi blinked at the mention of him being a puppy and sat down on the ground near the chair. He leaned his head against the headrest and felt a hand ruffle his spiky hair.  
  
"You like that hairstyle, huh?"  
  
"It's out of my face," he replied, rubbing the palm on his head with his soft spikes as his head meant to nuzzle against that warm hand.  
  
"I like the rattail."  
  
The seventeen-year-old sighed. "Honto ka?"  
  
"Really. However, you look like rogue royalty with your hair up."  
  
He snorted in reply, but made no other comment. He shifted to Youko form and twitched his red ear. Koenma stroked the furry triangle, hearing Kurohi sigh in reply.  
  
The hand fled. "I really, *really* need to get back to work, koibito."  
  
"Hnnnmm.." replied the demi-fox.  
  
"I'll be done in a few minutes. We can do whatever you like then, okay?"  
  
He frowned and twitched his ears. 'I feel like a needy pet fox. Then again, he DOES have a job to do.' His thoughts paused. 'I know! I take care of HIM tonight!'  
  
Kurohi blinked his now green eyes once and waited for Koenma to finish working.  
  
After a while, the stamping ceased and Kurohi looked up. Koenma hopped out of his seat and the kitsune stood up from his spot on the floor. "Done, koi?"  
  
Koenma turned to his lover. "Yes." He transformed into his teen form. "Now, what did you have in mind earlier?" He reached up to toy with one of Kurohi's ears, inciting a deep purr from the man's chest.  
  
"Aaaaaahh..." He stopped the hand. "Keep doing that, and I won't be able to stand up on my own." He leaned his head against the taller one's right shoulder, and his left ear folded up near the other's neck.  
  
Walking down the hall and to the double-doors, Kurohi pulled them open and politely allowed Koenma to go in first. Then, he, too, followed.  
  
End Day 19  
  
*********  
  
I decided to allow YYH TM: PR sequel into this fic. After all, it only lasts 3 nights and 2 days! (I think.)  
  
Oh, and for any of the chapters that end before they seem to have ended (aka: omitted lemon scenes), I take a long time to write one, so I keep it out so I can fill it in when I get it done. I think I might have a separate place for them.  
  
Just to clear anything up, Kurohi has only two "pure" transformations. Dragon and god form. Kurohi did not get many traits from his father.  
  
Majari  
  
Slanted blue eyes, blue hair.  
  
Tokiai  
  
Wide purple eyes, brown hair.  
  
R&R!  
  
Started 6/28/03, 1:45PM Finished 6/30/03, 10:13PM 


	34. Day 20 Never to Wilt

10 Years of Waiting  
  
by Kurohi Tatsaki  
  
Day 20 - Never to Wilt  
  
Disclaimer - I don't own YYH, & never will. After all, I'm not Yoshihiro Togashi. Kurohi, Yamiryuinu, Shirokoori, & all the other original characters *I* & Kohaku Frost come up with are property of Beware of Mage & Tsuki Ryu Productions. Use our characters without permission & we will be pissed. One thing's for sure: I'm thankful for copy & paste! There's no WAY I'm going to rewrite this whole disclaimer over & over again!  
  
I now highly dislike FF.Net! They banned the lemon series of this! If you want to read it, just tell me by review/e-mail, okay? Not only that, I can't update for a while, but I guess that once you're reading this, I'm no longer suspended, which means that it must be some time after: "07-27-03 06:59pm pst.," which is what I found in place of my Upload Chapter box.  
  
Fanfiction.net wouldn't load up around 8:20PM on the 27th, so I apologize for the not-as-prompt-as-even-*I*-would-like update.  
  
KT: "Hiei-san! Will you help me get revenge on ff.net?"  
  
Hiei: *fang-showing smirk* "Sure! They had no right to ban that side-series of this fic!! & weren't you about ready to go into one juicy scene with me & My Fox?"  
  
KT: "Yes! Don't kill me, Hiei!! It was gonna happen twice in this one chapter!! Waaaaaaaaaa!!!"  
  
Hiei: *looking flustered* "Ah, ah, don't cry you baka ningen!!"  
  
Kurama: *comes into the room* "Hiei, why are you tormenting the author of 10YoW?"  
  
KT: "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa--------------------- -------------------------!!"  
  
Hiei: "Boku wa nai! She just burst out into tears like I was gonna use my Kokuryu!"  
  
KT: *blinks* "Y-You weren't gonna kill me?"  
  
Hiei: "Hell no! You're one of the only authors that don't put me through much in order to for me to get My Fox!"  
  
KT: "Yay!" ^_^ *glomps Hiei*  
  
Hiei: *thinking* (Get. Off. Me. You. Baka. Ningen.)  
  
Kurama: "Not only that, she doesn't draw us half bad! She wishes she had a working scanner so she could show everyone how her drawing style is! It's constantly improving!"  
  
KT: "You're too kind, Kurama!" *glomps Kurama* "I'm gonna put in extra effort in drawing you two and Kurohi!"  
  
Hiei: "Hn."  
  
Kurama: *grinning* "Thank you!"  
  
Kurohi: *wakes up from a nap* "Huh? What did I miss?"  
  
Kage Kitsune - Arigato for your undying support & listening to my rage! Things like this, when I was younger, would never bug me in such a short span of time, but because I'm a late teen... Y'get the picture.  
  
JinE4 ... or was it "Who Cares"? - Unless I do a lemon scene, Botan won't be shoving her spoon up her ass any time soon. ;) I'm trying to get more Hiei/Kurama in here. I'll have to e-mail you about the dictionary stuff, as I have too much to fit in this chapter.  
  
Black Magician Girl - due to a certain period of lack of inspiration and temporary banning from uploading on ff.net, I haven't been able to update quickly. That will most likely, soon change as soon as I get to my "remake of Poltergeist Report".  
  
The-FOX - (from review of chapter one) Here is more Hiei and Kurama. I swear, there is NO appearance of Kurohi OR Koenma here, but maybe a mild amount of reference.  
  
Anyway, first person to get the review counter up to 100 gets a character picture (from my fic) drawn by me!  
  
//telepathy// [thoughts] (A/N: I decided to change it. It gets too confusing with quotation marks.)  
  
Warning: There is slight sap in this chapter!  
  
--------------------------------  
  
"Hiei."  
  
I shift in my sleep, turning to one side. The color I see behind my eyelids brightens a little. I must be facing the window...  
  
"Hi~~ei~..."  
  
I snuggle up into the cool sheets, chin almost halfway tucked against my collar and sigh.  
  
"Wake up, Hiei. I have something for you."  
  
I slide my eyes open and gaze into close twin pools of green and yawn. "Hai, kitsune...?"  
  
He leans in and kisses me almost fully awake. I pull him a little closer around the shoulders and gently bite his bottom lip. I lick it afterwards in almost unnecessary apology.  
  
Kurama purred and slowly pulled away from me. My groggy, but clearing brain finally realized what he was *wearing*!  
  
"Kurama~...? What the hell...?" I frowned at his clothing - very tight black leather, and realized I wasn't drowsy any longer - almost bordering on the edge of hyper like I had consumed a large amount of sweet-snow.  
  
Anyway, Kurama sat on the bed in a cat's pose, but his hands were outside his knees. Leather sleeves started at the elbow and stopped at the wrist; also, the same happened to his calves, starting at the knee and ending at the ankle. He wore a black choker with a leash-like chain attached to it around his neck. His face was flushed softly with arousal. The leather didn't even cover up his manly parts - which were slightly "perky"!  
  
"Do you like what you see, koi?"  
  
"Hnn......" [Why's he up earlier than me?] I smile nervously as I eye his "treasure".  
  
"What's the matter, koi?"  
  
"This is rather.. different of you, fox."  
  
"When compared to my Youko side, it's not much of a change." He straddles my thighs. "Now, it's my turn to be dominant."  
  
I grabbed the chain. "Not THIS time, fox!"  
  
He pulled off the choker, which actually WASN'T fastened at all, and hooked it to my own neck. "You're not one to talk, Hiei-chan."  
  
["Hiei-chan"?] I thought with confusion.  
  
"Look at what you're wearing, you kawaii little neko-chan."  
  
I looked down at myself. I wore black, just like Kurama. I had a cat's tail connected to my backside by green vines and a pair of ears in the form of one of those girlie headbands on my head.  
  
"How the fuck did you... Mmmmmm..." I groaned as he kissed me. I would have to figure out how he got all this stuff on me *later*...  
  
***  
  
I opened my eyes and gazed at the ceiling. I rested on my koibito's chest, hearing his human heartbeat beat steadily near my ear. Carefully I toy with a tendril of my ebony hair, wrapping it loosely around my finger before letting it go. Cautiously, I rolled off Kurama's chest and stood up, away from my fox. I pulled my ningen clothes on, and walked downstairs. I was almost startled out of my wits as I walked down the stairs halfway and heard, "Shuuichi! We're home!"  
  
I flitted up the stairs and was greeted by a waking Kurama. He rubbed his eyes, threw on a pair of jeans and a shirt, and dashed downstairs. I grabbed a rubber band on my way out of his room and followed behind him, tying back my hair as I went.  
  
"Kon'nichi wa, 'Kaasan, 'Tosan, Shuuichi-chan!" greeted Kurama, hugging everyone at once.  
  
"Ah, Shuuichi! You're up! Can you make lunch?"  
  
"Lunch...?" he echoed. It seemed to dawn on him and he chuckled. "Oh, okay! Hiei, you want to help?"  
  
I snorted with a "Hn," but nodded anyway. I had a feeling he would use this as an excuse to talk to me in private. After all, I couldn't really cook with ningen appliances.  
  
"Hiei, do you think we should tell them about us?" he asked as he pulled out various goodies from the refrigerator to make sandwiches with.  
  
I leaned against the side of the 'frige. "You're old enough to say that we're together, fox, are you not? In any case, if they love you, they should be able to accept you." [And me..] I added silently.  
  
Kurama sighed. "All right. We tell them after we eat." He continued to make the sandwiches and when he was through, he gave me the plate, which I took without a word. He put away the goodies and took the plate from me. I pouted slightly but brushed it off a second later. I followed the crimson- haired beauty back into the dining room, the very same where we realized our love for each other. I seated myself next to Kurama as he set the plate down in the middle of the table and sat down next to me as well. We helped ourselves to the sandwiches.  
  
"How was your vacation?" politely asked Kurama, swallowing a bite of his sandwich.  
  
She smiled happily. "Oh, very pleasant. Shuuichi had a nice time at the beach in California, didn't you?"  
  
"Ha ha!" He grinned. "I had dad rent a couple of boards and rode the waves! There was this pretty huge one and I almost got dunked!"  
  
Kurama chuckled. "What about you, 'Kaasan?"  
  
"I didn't do much, except for watch over little Shuuichi and chit-chat with your father."  
  
"Okaasan, I'm not 'little' anymore!" protested Shuuichi.  
  
She pouted a little. "But, you're still younger than your brother."  
  
A bit of silence.  
  
Shiori uttered, looking at my love, "So, Shuuichi, who's your friend?"  
  
"Boku wa Hiei," I muttered.  
  
"He's a friend of mine who needed a place to stay for a while," he answered politely, despite the fact I had said who I was. I also get the feeling he didn't want to reveal the truth just yet. "I hope you don't mind, 'Kaasan."  
  
"Not at all. Where's he sleeping?" she asked sweetly.  
  
"My room," he replied.  
  
"Ah."  
  
Some time passed and we polished off the abundance of sandwiches that Kurama had made. As he cleared the table, Shiori made a fuss on my hair. I bit back a shiver as she gently tugged at the ends. "My, my! It's so *long*! I would have thought that Shuuichi was the only one who liked his hair long. Is it a trend?"  
  
"I guess, considering how popular Shuuichi is." [At least, in his school years while in what you humans call Junior High School.]  
  
"Um, 'Kaasan?" uttered Kurama as everyone began to filter out of the room. They paused as Kurama spoke. "There's something I... no.. Hiei and I, need to tell you," he said as I strode over to Kurama.  
  
"Shuuichi, nan desu ka?"  
  
I wrapped both my arms around his right one and leaned close to him, closing one eye and keeping the other lazily open. My chin rested on his biceps.  
  
"Hiei is more than a friend to me... He and I are.."  
  
"Lovers," I finished for him.  
  
Kurama kept an eye on his mother's reaction. She chuckled. "No wonder you never got a girlfriend! How long have you known him?" she asked good- naturedly.  
  
Inside myself, I was surprised. So humans weren't ALL narrow-minded.  
  
"Umm... Eighteen years. I met him when I was ten, but we weren't really friends back then."  
  
[More like enemies,] I thought.  
  
Little Shuuichi gaped at his brother. His face clouded with fury and fear as he yelled the one word, "FAG!!"  
  
"Shu...Shuuichi!" uttered Kurama. "Naze..."  
  
"Stupid fag! Don't come near me!!" He ran upstairs and slammed his door behind him. I frowned and pulled away from my lover, but I held his wrist in my left hand.  
  
"*That* was unexpected," I uttered, frowning slightly deeper. "Shuuichi shouldn't care if Kura - er, Shuuichi-koi likes me or not. I sure wouldn't, if I were him."  
  
Shiori sighed. "I'll go upstairs and try to talk to him. Shuuichi, are you happy with Hiei?"  
  
Kurama looked at me for half a second, smiled and chirped, "Hai~."  
  
She looked at me. "You like him too, right?"  
  
I nodded once. Silence was more my forte than words.  
  
"Treat each other well, then. As long as the both of you are happy, I don't mind that you're both men. You two actually look cute together!" She smiled.  
  
I gulped and blinked. 'C-Cute?'  
  
Kurama chuckled at my expression and I laughed slightly with him. Oh well. At least the majority didn't care that we were in love.  
  
I felt a hand on my hair and turned my face up. His lips greeted mine gently, and I felt his other hand rest on my hip. His tongue brushed against my lips in passing as he pulled away after the quick peck. "Thanks for standing by me, koibito."  
  
I snorted. "Anytime, fox. Y'know, Shuuichi's expression was priceless for a moment there."  
  
"I know, I know," He smiled a moment, then the smile faded slightly. "I just wish he'd accept me."  
  
"Oi," I replied, grabbing his hand in my own. "if he don't like it, it's *his* loss."  
  
Kurama chuckled and tossed his head, fiery-red mane falling to his back and barely touching his buttocks where it belonged. His emerald eyes, too lively to be compared to a shiny gem, sparkled with mirth and a smile tugged his lips. His slack grip on my hand tightened gently and he led me upstairs. We rounded the opposite corner and stood near little Shuuichi's room. (A/N: I'm assuming he's still a minor!)  
  
"So, how would you feel if you loved a girl and we called you names because of it?"  
  
Silence.  
  
"That's what I thought. Now you go and apologize to your brother, Shuuichi."  
  
Silence.  
  
"*Now*, Shuuichi. He's just outside the door."  
  
I blinked. How did she know we were there? We were just as silent as two ex- thieves! How did she...?  
  
The boy entered our field of vision. He eyed us with boredom. "Gomen nasai. Just know that I won't interfere with whatever it is that you do. It's none of my business, whether I like it or not." With that, he shut himself up back in his room.  
  
Shiori entered our view again as soon as the door closed. She must have hidden behind it or something. "To pass the time, why don't you go out somewhere? I'm sure Hiei-san would like to go somewhere. Don't you, Hiei?"  
  
I jerked slightly with a start at the sudden question and shrugged. "I go where Shuuichi-koi goes."  
  
She smiled. "Now, Shuuichi, go on ahead. It must be pretty boring here. Go and have a nice time, okay?"  
  
Kurama smiled so brightly the happiness embraced his eyes. "Arigato, 'Kaasan! Saa, Hiei-koi!" he chirped, tugging me by the hand. He led me out the front door.  
  
We walked side by side; I followed Kurama. We soon came to a park I had never been to before.  
  
"They created this park a few years ago, while you were away," he chirped, grinning. "When no one's been looking, I've been helping the plants grow, especially the flowers. You should have seen it all! It's the most gorgeous sight, especially in springtime!" he grinned and turned his head to face me. "I also created a sort of hidden area - one that only I could access, for now. This way." He led me through the trees on a detour from the paved path. He crouched down at what appeared to be a tree. I sat down on the ground next to him, folding my legs under me. He placed a few fingertips to a root and sent some Reiki into it. The illusion - to ningens and, somehow, to me - disappeared and revealed a rose. This was no ordinary rose.  
  
Its petals were streaked with silver and red. The green stem had a few thorns on it, and the beautiful flower was in full bloom. The leaves were darkly tinted. He plucked the lone rose from the ground and, holding it with two fingers and his thumb, handed it to me. I accepted it graciously upon my palms and gazed at it. Slowly, I grasped it between my pointer and thumb, supporting diagonally with the rest of my hand. I felt my eyes water slightly at the precious gift.  
  
"It's... beautiful, Kurama..." //But not nearly as beautiful as you...// My eyes slowly blurred the world to me.  
  
"Hiei, are you all right?"  
  
My heart pounded in my chest as I gazed at the pretty rose. "Ku-Kurama... how... why..."  
  
"It took me eight years to nurture it to its current state. I grew it because I wanted to show you how much I love and care about you. This rose shall live as long as our love holds strong. If it does hold strong, the rose shall forever be in bloom and never wilt."  
  
I looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. "Oh, Kurama... You didn't..."  
  
"I wanted to, Hiei-chan." I felt him snuggle up against my side, resting his head against my own.  
  
That did it. I felt them, warm and moist, fall from my eyes and slide down my face. They dripped off my jaw, taking all traces of themselves with them as they fled. I felt two hard, smooth surfaces collide onto my legs.  
  
They stopped as soon as they came. I opened my eyes and saw two ebony gems resting in between my thighs. With my warded hand, I picked up the stones and eyed them curiously. I admit, I never cried before, as far as I could remember. I guess, because I'm part fire demon, my hirui-seki stones are not bluish-white, but jet black.  
  
I felt a warm nose nuzzle my ear and I shivered slightly, eyes still fixed on those gems held by my fingertips. I blinked at them before pulling out a spare string that I keep in case the strings my mother's or Yukina's tear gems snap, and also pull out a silver, metal loop. I easily drill the device into the gem and thread the string through the loop. I let it hang in the air as I hold onto the untied ends and offered it to my fox, whose eyes widened at either the sight of a dark hirui-seki, or the fact I am giving him something in return. I looped the strings around the redhead's neck and tie the ends securely. "Now, when I'm away, you can look at this, and know I'll always come back," I murmured, gently hugging my kitsune as I quickly pocketed the other gem. I would find a use for it later.  
  
"Hiei..." he uttered, gently falling back on the earth. I felt warmth against my chest as my weight settled on him. His arms enveloped my waist and hugged my hips to his. I used my own arms to hold myself up during such a fragile moment. I gazed at his soft beauty and gently set the rose to the side, near the tree's roots, where it originated. His crimson hair, spread across the ground like silk, still looked like freshly-spilt blood even though it had grown at least a foot or two.  
  
His forest-green eyes were twice as lively as our surroundings. The light played even more delicately off the surfaces even better than shine on a gem. His face had lengthened, but barely. He still had his youthful looks even at the age of twenty-eight ningen years. Time had definitely been nice to him. No, "nice" wasn't the word. "Generous" more like it.  
  
And I didn't have too much time left to be with Kurama-koi. I had to leave in ten days...  
  
I frowned. Maybe I could convince Mukuro for more time! If I could...  
  
I smiled mentally, but I still didn't like the fact I would have to leave within ten days, anyway, even if it was just to ask for more time.  
  
"Hiei? What's wrong?"  
  
"I loathe the idea of going back to Mukuro AND the Makai right now. I want to spend more time with you, fox."  
  
He smiles, though his eyes are a bit sad. I think he will miss his human form very, very much. After all, it's a beauty beyond beauties, and its features touch the souls of any gender and race of demon, human, or otherwise. It makes baka shojo humans faint and swoon at his very presence and even takes the attention of some men. "And even when this human body of mine dies, I shall still live as Youko...-"  
  
"Who said you were going to die at any particular time?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Eh?" The redhead looked positively baffled.  
  
I grinned, showing fang. "So, Youko Kurama DOESN'T know about the Tsuki Ryu race?"  
  
He blinks.  
  
"We stopped aging the instant Koenma returned Kurohi's love, fox. So did Shiori, Shuuichi, Hatanaka-san, Yusuke, Yukina-chan, Keiko, Atsuko, Shizuru, Kuwabaka,-" Kurama frowned at me as I said that. I chuckled. "Kurohi, that Azura kid, those two dragon clones, and us."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Really, and as long as those two's love doesn't let up, we'll never pass on. Not only that, all our future loved-ones will most likely stick around with us as well - as long as they don't get on our Shit List... Like try and kill us or something." I stifled some laughter and let my head rest against My Fox's heart. I let my eyes stray up to his face again.  
  
Kurama gazed gently at me. "So, we basically have an eternity to show our love for each other?"  
  
I nodded. "Yes, Kurama."  
  
He smiled seductively and his hand trailed to my ass, simply waiting there. "Then let's make this the best darn eternity to ever grace the three worlds!"  
  
I became rock hard immediately and captured his rose petal-soft lips with my own.  
  
End Day 20  
  
*********  
  
I basically did this whole chapter in a day if you really think about it. I had major inspiration after I got a head start on Day 22, & it helped that I read a Vincent/Sephiroth, Selfie/Quistis, etc. fanfic where Vincent sometimes compared people to a certain kind of flower. (Sephiroth is a silver rose!) I got the idea of the silver & red streaked flower because of Kurama himself - Kurama's human side has red hair while the Youko has silver. The petals are darker because of Hiei's own aura!  
  
We got a scanner on 7/28/03! Yay!! Now, anyone who wants to see any particular pics of just about any character from this fic or otherwise, just ask! I have more pics of Kurohi than any other character, a shot of his dragon, a shot of Shirokoori, and a bit of unfinished doujinshi for this fic...  
  
Thank you for being patient with me, as I am still fuming mad about what ff.net did! I plan on submitting this story to Kage Kitsune's site that she is creating, as well as some fanart.  
  
Anyway, so far, I think this is my favorite Kurama/Hiei chapter yet! As much as I like to write about Kurohi, this fic was SUPPOSED to be an all Kurama/Hiei (or reversed) fic, & writing solely about Kurohi can be a pain - especially his hairstyle! (I AM doing a doujinshi of this, after all!)  
  
R&R!  
  
Started 7/2/03, 1:15PM Finished 7/26/03, 2:01AM  
  
1st Revision (before posting): 7/27/03, Sometime in the AM 


	35. Day 21 Passion

10 Years of Waiting  
  
by Kurohi Tatsaki  
  
Day 21 - Passion  
  
Disclaimer - I don't own YYH. I'm not Yoshihiro Togashi, or a descendant of him in any way, shape, or form. Kurohi, Shirokoori, Angelique, etc. & all the other OCs Kohaku Frost & I come up with are property of Beware of Mage & Tsuki Ryu Productions. Use our characters without permission & we will be pissed.  
  
DemonLady - Sorry for the wait! I'm on vacation and couldn't access a zipdrive anytime soon.  
  
*sigh* I know, back to Kurohi. I don't really feel like writing about Kuwabara or Angel.  
  
******beginning/ending/interruption/resuming of dreams  
  
Warning: Slightly detailed wet dream. *grin* Guess who's dream?  
  
So, who wants a picture of a character? Again, first person to get the #of reviews up to 100 gets an illustration/character shot that was drawn by me! Trust me, I have a scanner, & I know how to use it!  
  
Characters available for drawing or I will eventually get to them: Kurohi, Yowaihaiiro, Hiei, Kurama, Koenma, Shirokoori, Yamiryuinu, Taka, Youko Kurohi, Half-God Kurohi, Dragon Transformation Kurohi, Angelique, Azura, Hikina, & Kesumi. Just know that I don't have all of those drawn. So, if it is one of those, expect it to be a while before I e-mail it. I shall have character shots inked & (probably) as well as illustrations.  
  
--------------------------------  
  
The soft rain touched the glass before sliding down the smooth surface. Over the past few hours, the weather had grown cold again; blackened clouds had entered the sky's blue territory, casting many shadows over the Reikai.  
  
Fingertips touched the icy glass gently for a moment or two before a naked palm joined the digits. Blue eyes flickered gently in the office's harsh light; said light reflected sharply against the orbs of sight, but Kurohi paid it no mind. He wasn't looking at it, so it wouldn't hurt his eyes.  
  
His spiky hair was tied back into a ponytail, wet from his last shower.  
  
Actually, he had stood out in the rain just to get a great view of the sky. Due to his life, he had learned to appreciate the beauty of anything that existed if it had a pure soul - such as a flower or a tree, or even the sky since its only verbal language was uttered during horrible weather. Otherwise, it had a lovely song of the wind, snow or whatnot that befell who or what happened to be beneath those clouds and sun.  
  
Also, in a way, its soul was pure because it only did what it felt was right.  
  
It could be a bitch sometimes though, with its bolts of lightening and raging winds.  
  
His tail twitched slightly as the cold suddenly ripped through his arm, and then it stilled.  
  
The sky rumbled angrily and loudly just then.  
  
Kurohi blinked at it through the fogged window caused by his hot breath, as if he could understand its strange language. He knew one thing. Something was coming, and he felt he knew that something.  
  
Lord of the Meikai, and three gods of said world as well.  
  
[Father... Will you know who I am when you see me, or will I have to show you the form you granted me?] His left fist, near his side, tightened at his next thought and trembled. He growled low in his throat - quietly of course, since Koenma was working. [Will I have to *prove my worth* to you just to get you to our side and save your hide?]  
  
He sighed and shook his head. [I probably will. After all, you're supposedly the evil one... but... if you're evil, I wonder why I am not...?]  
  
~~~~~~  
  
Koenma looked up as he heard a slight growl of anger. He quietly spun in his chair. His golden gaze fixed upon his lover, where he stood in front of the clear window just behind his chair.  
  
With a soft "poof", he materialized as his taller, gorgeous teen self and wrapped his arms around his lover, which draped gently against his biceps. Kurohi stiffened momentarily before melting into the touch, purring softly in his chest.  
  
"I know this sounds cliché, but everything will be all right after this storm passes.. at least, I hope so."  
  
"Why would you hope if you know?"  
  
"It's good to have that. You never know what may happen."  
  
"Ahhh..." He nudged his head further against his lover and sighed, eyes sliding shut.  
  
Silence. "You're tense, are you afraid, Kurohi?"  
  
"Hmmm... Maa, I don't want to lose you."  
  
"You won't. I'm a god and you're half of one, remember?"  
  
"Heh." He grinned at that. "Should we tell the others about the Meikai?"  
  
"Oooooohhh~, I have a feeling that this will be explained somehow in Ningenkai," chirped Koenma. He cradled the boy's face in his hand and touched his lips to the other's. His tongue probed the other's mouth, and the response was a low moan.  
  
Kurohi felt both his blood and body tingle at the sensations inside him. His tail swished once before wrapping itself around Koenma's left leg. His arms went slack, as there was nothing he could hold onto. His legs were slowly depleted of their energy.  
  
Koenma's free hand held him around his waist to keep him upright as he deepened the kiss further, asking a tongue duel without words.  
  
The half god eagerly fought back, a constant purr in his chest that was only broken by pleasure-filled moans. His tail released its hold just as he spun around so he could hold his lover as he tried to dominate the tongue war. He growled like his kitsune self could and grabbed Koenma's ass, pulling him so that their crotches ground slightly against each other.  
  
The god gasped and was just about to take another shot at domination, there was a rapping at the door.  
  
"K-Koenma-sama! The rain's picking up!"  
  
"Get your workers to try and block it out, then!" he barked. He did not release his hold on his lover even as the gray oni barged in almost uninvited. He noticed Kurohi's lashing tail and immediately left the office, closing the door behind him.  
  
Koenma frowned at the door, then gently pushed himself away from the shorter one.  
  
Surprised, the other male stumbled on his own feet and tail, landing flat on his ass with a mew.  
  
The god's eyes took on a weary glaze. "I'm sorry, but I still have work to do. If you like, we can make-out tonight when I'm done, okay?"  
  
Kurohi nodded, and started staring out the window again.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
Hiei blearily opened his eyes. He heard soft, human breathing under him.  
  
Blinking, he lifted his head and saw the gorgeous sight of his true love, Kurama. Looking to his left, in a vase full of water, stood the silver and red-streaked rose.  
  
He smiled and rested his head against Kurama's chest again, drifting back to sleep.  
  
****** (never thought you'd see THIS again, didja?)  
  
Hiei flitted across the forest's trees. Below him, dashed a giggling Kurama. The redhead glanced up at him from time to time. "Y'gotta tire some time, Hiei!"  
  
"Hn! No way, fox!" replied the demon with a grin. Nonetheless, he jumped down to level ground. Kurama had said that his was a ningen kiddie game by the name of "Tag".  
  
Bad mistake. The vines encircled the demon and Kurama tackled the demon before he could hit the ground. "TAG! You're 'it', Hiei!"  
  
Hiei snorted. "Fine. I'll give you a head start and then I'm willing to bet that I'll catch up with you within ten seconds or less!"  
  
Kurama's vines loosened. "Okay!" He dashed off, red hair flailing from his shoulders in his self-created wind.  
  
Hiei waited ten seconds before beginning his own hunt and count.  
  
Ichi...  
  
The black, white-streaked fire and ice demon's hair fluttered as his speed started up with a burst.  
  
Ni...  
  
His eyes caught a flash of red. He ran at it.  
  
San...  
  
The red flickered away. He used his sense of smell to find Kurama.  
  
Yon... Go...  
  
Ah-hah! "I've found you, Kurama!!"  
  
A grunt sounded from the redhead as he was brought to the ground.  
  
"Got ya, fox!"  
  
"So you have..." he purred. "Do what you like with me..."  
  
"Fine then. What *I* want, is for you to do things to *me*."  
  
Kurama smiled lovingly and...  
  
******  
  
Kurama awoke with a moaning lover on his chest. Correction: a moaning, *sleeping* lover on his chest.  
  
"Aaaaaaahhhhhhh... Kura...ma... aaahh... aaaaaahhh... oooooohh..."  
  
The kitsune blinked widely and he lifted his head slightly. Sure enough, his demon was highly turned on. Kurama reached down to Hiei's pants and grabbed the youkai's sex.  
  
******  
  
Hiei moaned loudly, bucking and writhing to his fox's touch. "Ku-Kurama... i..itachau!!" Hiei screamed as he came.  
  
******  
  
Kurama hastily muffled his koibito's screaming mouth with a spare pillow to his right. Hopefully, no one had awoken to Hiei's yelling.  
  
When he settled down, Kurama sighed. [That must have been one *HELL* of a dream...] A glance at the clock told him it was nearly four in the morning, so he let sleep take his mind again.  
  
End Day 21  
  
--------------------------------  
  
maa = well,/well...  
  
yon = four  
  
go = five  
  
itachau! = I'm coming!  
  
Please Read & Review!  
  
I might not be able to update as quickly b/c I will be in California August 4th. I shall be there until a few days before school starts & I will probably be back a day before it begins, which is around the 16th or so. I won't be with-OUT ability to type out the next chapter(s) b/c I will be bringing the zip drive and disks that contain this story (I have 3. 1 for images, 1 for this fic, & another for stuff that I can't fit on the others). Just know that I will be very busy in CA b/c it's the last time I can see my relatives for a whole year, & one could (or not) believe what could happen during 1 year. While I'm there, I think I'll find some manga tones, some pen nibs/tips, Hiei and Kurama action figures, Yu-Gi-Oh! cards, imported YYH cards from the Japanese TCG (they're coming out with YYH trading cards in English by this September!), & Hiei/Kurama (or reversed) doujinshi that-won't-get-me-in-trouble-for-buying.  
  
Started: 7/27/03, 1:12AM  
  
Finished 7/31/03, 2:20AM  
  
Added Text 8/11/03, 6:22PM  
  
Okay, this is cool! They FINALLY have a zip for this! I won't be able to update for the next four days because things will be pretty hectic b/c I will be going home tomorrow! One of the things here in CA that I miss where I live is ROUND TABLE PIZZA!! Yeeeowch! I burned my mouth!!  
  
I also might not be able to update after the 2 days when I'm back home b/c school starts for me on the 18th. It's cool that I get to see my friends, but it's also fun sitting on my ass, typing this while I baby-sit my kid & teenage brothers! No, I'm not baby-sitting them right now. I mean during the summer.  
  
Anyway, ja ne, & please review! Now that I have a scanner, I can do request & whatever-the-hell-I-feel-like illustrations! Heck, I even draw artwork/illustrations whenever I have free time, so be patient as when I get free time it's usually pretty meager. 


	36. Day 22 Bonds of Fire

10 Years of Waiting  
  
by Kurohi Tatsaki  
  
Day 22 - Bonds of Fire  
  
Disclaimer - I don't own YYH, & never will. After all, I'm not Yoshihiro Togashi. Kurohi, Yamiryuinu, Shirokoori, & all the other original characters *I* & Kohaku Frost come up with are property of Beware of Mage & Tsuki Ryu Productions. Use our characters without permission & we will be pissed. One thing's for sure: I'm thankful for copy & paste! There's no WAY I'm going to rewrite this whole disclaimer over & over again!  
  
Yeah, I know I took the scene name from the video/DVD, but whatever! It's MY fic!  
  
DemonLady1 - Yeah, well, since during this little bit probably won't work out as well, I plan on letting Kurama say he's a demon & that they won't age or anything for a LONG time after this little bit of scenario. (After this version of Poltergeist Report)  
  
Scarby - No, there is Makai, Reikai, Ningenkai, & Meikai. If you have seen YYH The Movie: Poltergeist Report: Bonds of Fire, then you would know who explains this & all 4 worlds' relationships to Kuwabara.  
  
Rishi the Elf, a.k.a. Moony - Yes, the rain in the Reikai IS from the movie! I'm gonna try & keep this in line with the movie, but I'm going to have to change a few things around. (Such as, in THAT time-frame, Yusuke is still in school, but in this, he is not). Enma-daiou probably approves of Kurohi.. *somewhat*... b/c he tends to *distract* his son! Heheheh... But since he knows that they'd protect each other, then it's cool. (Enma-daiou knows b/c.. maa, what are onis for[?]!) You didn't have to shut up.. anyway, another plan, is that Kurohi will argue w/Kuwabara on who gets to fight.. but first, Kurohi is gonna try to convince Majari of their blood- line relationship from soooooo long ago.  
  
--------------------------------  
  
Kurohi opened the door and stepped inside his lover's office. "Hi, Koenma- koi."  
  
Koenma turned his head away from the window. The rain harshly pelted the window, but barely made the material rattle. Lightening struck just outside, illuminating the god's toddler-form face.  
  
"Evening. This amount of rain is definitely not normal."  
  
"Because of the Meikai?"  
  
Koenma nodded. "Hai."  
  
The tailed male sighed as he was reminded of Majari, the father he never knew.  
  
It seemed that he would be able to finally meet his only family, but that meeting would probably be destined to end in bloodshed. As much as Kurohi hated killing, he also hated not fighting for those you loved. So, if Majari was an obstacle, he would have to remove him somehow, some way, so that his soul wouldn't kill him for doing what he had to do. "Koenma?"  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"If I can bring Majari back, will you not sentence him to death? He's my only blood-relative..." reasoned Kurohi. [Then again, reason can be overrode by the deeds the one you defend does. However, sometimes, it depends on the deeds themselves, doesn't it?]  
  
"I can't guarantee it, koibito. He's done horrible things."  
  
"But, what if I can change him?" he asked, eyes slightly narrowed. [I had a feeling he would say that. Sometimes, I hate being right...]  
  
"Then his punishment might not be so severe, but, then again, it isn't a guarantee." [I'm sorry, Kurohi, but I might not be able to do anything reasonable to the rest of the Reikai. They want him dead, you know. They hate his guts... I assume you know that feeling...]  
  
"Oh..." The blue-eyed one cocked his human ear at the sound of rushing footsteps. He stepped away from the door just as the blue oni, George, burst into the large office.  
  
"K-Koenma-sama!"  
  
"What is it?!"  
  
He was gasping for air, and just barely uttered, "The river Styx is...!"  
  
Koenma's gaze fell to what was going on outside. The onis were using shovels and other tools to heighten the barriers using the earth against the rain. A sharp wave, large and noxious, easily overcame the feeble defense, crashing just in front of the lot of them. The demons rushed inside, fearing for their lives. Water crashed against the now hastily closed door many times, and eventually succeeded in breaking the barrier. It eagerly flooded the ground level with its liquid death.  
  
"Water has broken through the Gate of Judgment!"  
  
"There's a crack in the upper part of the Gate...!"  
  
"Take the important files!"  
  
George stuttered to his lord, "W-What shall we do?"  
  
Kurohi frowned. There was no way he could fight this ferocious, angry element. After all, HE was of an opposite element... fire. He gazed at his lover, his stomach going as far down as it could, as if lead filled it. The boy almost felt sick, and his eyes took on that slight disgust.  
  
Another oni burst into the office. He wore a yellow helmet. "Koenma-sama!"  
  
Koenma answered immediately, "Nan da?" (A/N: What is it?)  
  
The oni barked, "The Second and Third Levels have been submerged! If this keeps up, all the gates will be in danger!" He closed the door and yelped as water seeped into their floor. "The shield has collapsed! It cannot be repaired!"  
  
George slammed a hand onto the large chair Koenma sat on and pounded the desk with his free fist. "It is dangerous, Koenma-sama. Please seek refuge!" When he didn't answer, eyes closed, the oni cried, "What's the matter with you?"  
  
[He's being smart, George. He's doing what he must. He is calculating what he can or can't do, comparing it to the odds, and it seems he doesn't want to face it just yet.]  
  
Koenma's gold eyes snapped open. "Masaku!" (A/N: I don't believe it...!)  
  
[I can almost read him like a book,] thought Kurohi with pride.  
  
George then lingered near the front of the desk.  
  
"Summon Botan! I will be in the Great Vault!" he told the blue one.  
  
"But, Koenma-sama," protested the servant. "now is not the time to--"  
  
The toddler-faced and bodied god wouldn't have it. He frowned and ordered firmly, "Hurry up!"  
  
He stood up straight with one hand in salute. "H-Hai!" He dashed out of the room, leaving the lovers in the flooding area. Koenma got onto his desk and his lover rested the god on his wider shoulders.  
  
"Koenma-koi, I'm going to help Botan when we see her. Will you be fine on your own, love?" he asked as he ran through countless corridors. His tail lashed from left to right and back again with the sheer force and speed of his strides - his legs were a blur to the untrained eye.  
  
"I will. I have to remain here. Be strong while I take care of things."  
  
"Hai. You be strong, too."  
  
Koenma nodded and held onto Kurohi's soft neck. He felt the wild demon's pulse under his fingertips, caused by the youkai having to run around with "luggage" on his shoulders. He remembered when he could see that heart beating in the form of a light from a round stone. He still had it, to this day, and he knew that if it stopped glowing, then that would mean that his love would be dead.  
  
However, he couldn't for the life of him find all those other violet, pulsing pearls that the lad had cried in his office while a storm such as tonight's raged. One thing was for certain: They were no longer connected to his life, which, in just that one jewel, became just as fragile.  
  
The suddenly water rushed in after them from all sides, and the young half god was swept from his feet with a cry. The cry was swallowed up as his head submerged. Kurohi swam to the surface and both their heads broke it, twin gasps occurring at the same time. He desperately pulled Koenma off his shoulders and protectively clutched him to his chest as the torrent of rain carried them both out of the building.  
  
Kurohi continued to keep their heads above water and grasped onto a pole with one strong, bare hand at some point in time. The water tugged at his legs insistently. Because of the rain hitting the pole and everything in sight, he felt his hand slipping gradually. His stomach felt odd - an icy feeling into its pits. He gasped at that and the lack of concentration on his grip caused it to slide even more. He heard a high-pitched voice shriek in horror, "Koenma-sama!"  
  
Kurohi's eyes remained shut. [Ara.. Botan!]  
  
Koenma heard this and turned his head up while his lover tried to keep them anchored. "I'm here, Botan! Over here!!"  
  
Botan hesitated with an inaudible gasp to the two and Kurohi yelped loudly as his grip betrayed him, sending both victims further down the currents. Kurohi saw Botan follow on her oar and call Koenma's name. They fell down what seemed like a freshly-created waterfall and called his name again. Kurohi reached one hand out and grasped Botan's slender hand. She pulled them both up and landed on the only area - a white pillar with barely enough room for a toddler and Botan - not drowned by raging water. The lord of the Reikai - while sitting down - pulled out a glowing golden sphere from his tunic and offered it to Botan.  
  
Kurohi recognized this object from the books in Angelique's library. Power Sphere. Supposedly, only Yakumo could control it, and when anyone else touched it, they would feel pain unimaginable. The Power Sphere contained raw Meikai Energy that could easily grant the wishes of the will of Yakumo, but to anyone else, it was much, much difficult. Several servants had died just trying to put the damn thing in wards and seals.  
  
Since Koenma was a god himself, he could hold it. After all, he WAS the lord of the Spirit World; "was" NOT being the keyword.  
  
"This cannot end up in their hands! Hurry and take it to Yusuke! There is no other way to save the Reikai. Do you understand?"  
  
The ferry woman slipped it into her kimono. "H-Hai!"  
  
Koenma stood up and ordered, Go, Botan, Kurohi! I must remain here. Be strong, you two!"  
  
The woman nodded. "Hai!" (A/N: Okay!)  
  
Kurohi gazed at his lover for only a second before kissing him lightly on the cheek. He touched their noses together and whispered, "Ai shiteiru zutto, Koenma-chan..."  
  
"And I, you. Now, go!"  
  
The boy stood up and transformed into his dragon form. His wings beat once before he became aloft. They took off into the storm. Botan turned her head back, thin side-locks kicking her jaw.  
  
"Go, Botan, Kurohi!" A swift current took his footing away from him and carried him downstream. He called desperately, "Hurry!"  
  
Kurohi's violet, almond-shaped gaze turned back for only a second. He closed his eyes a moment and turned back to where he was flying. [I love you, Koenma, please stay alive...]  
  
He listened as Botan gave a final call of, "K-Koenma-samaaaa!" before lightening struck her form, badly charring her robes, oar, and body. She fell into the water with a 'sploooshhh!' Kurohi dove in after her, knowing that his friend, Angel-sama, wouldn't be pleased if she died. Using his tail, he picked up her drenched, limp form, curling both her and his tail to his stomach, and took off toward the Urameshi residence.  
  
Only he, Kurama, Hiei, and Kuwabara could help them now.  
  
Kurohi gazed at his burden sighed. "I know this isn't the time, but I don't think Botan shoved her godforsaken spoon up her ass... yet. Hm, maybe after this is done, we could get Botan back into guy form and have her do that for show for Angel-sama?"  
  
End Day 22  
  
--------------------------------  
  
For those who know this movie, I'm going to try & keep it as close to the movie as I can.  
  
Possible/Near Exact Elements of Change:  
  
Yusuke is elsewhere instead of on the roof of Sarayashiki Junior High.  
  
Important conversations where I plan Kurohi to be present.  
  
Kuwabara VS Majari fight  
  
Finishing blows to Yakumo  
  
...& others.  
  
Started: 7/25/03 3:45PM  
  
Finished: 7/31/03 2:36AM  
  
Revised: 8/15/03 4:08PM 


	37. Day 23 The Guide To the Worlds Part 1

10 Years of Waiting  
  
by Kurohi Tatsaki  
  
Day 23 - Guide To the Worlds  
  
Disclaimer - I don't own YYH; am not making money off this; am not Yoshihiro Togashi. Kurohi, Yamiryuinu, Shirokoori, & all the other original characters *I* & Kohaku Frost come up with are property of Beware of Mage & Tsuki Ryu Productions. Use our characters without permission & we will be pissed.  
  
I know, I know. I took the chapter name from the movie. Just so you all know, I'm going to be doing this. Also, sorry it took so long! My other zip drive was shot in the pasture & I couldn't touch this fic until I got my new one! Also, this chapter came slowly because I hadn't gotten the chance to transcribe the Poltergeist Report Movie further. It takes a long time!  
  
/quotes in speech/  
  
DemonLady1 - Here's the update! Enjoy!  
  
Kage Kitsune - Here's next one!  
  
Demon Child 666 - Here's more of the story!  
  
Night Fox Hiten - Here's something without evil ketchup to sink your teeth into!  
  
--------------------------------  
  
Yusuke moved his dark head just in time as his partner's fist flew where his gelled head had been. He grabbed the intruding fist and decked his partner in the jaw, sending him skidding back a few feet.  
  
The carrot-top rubbed the new injury tenderly with one hand before standing up straight. The lumbering man dashed toward his opponent with anger and a cry, bringing his arm back to start another flurry of punches.  
  
The ex-delinquent almost effortlessly blocked the blows with his arms, grabbed the man's fists, and flung him over his head with a grunt. The man landed with a loud noise as his body hit the mat.  
  
"C'mon, Kuwabara, I know you can do better than that," drawled the descendant of the currently deceased Raizen. "After all, if my memory serves me correctly, *I* died twice in the span of two years, not you!"  
  
The man sat up and rolled his shoulders. "Yeah, well, as much as I hate to admit it, you're higher-up on the power ranks."  
  
The large brown-eyed man snorted. "So?" He was getting tired of beating Kuwabara so easily all the time. He also hated his infrequent excuses as to WHY he couldn't beat Yusuke. It sometimes got boring, but what else could you expect from a "C" Class human?  
  
Kazuma blinked and stopped his shoulder-rolling. "/So/ what?"  
  
"That's never stopped you before. You're always rarin' to kick my ass," replied the boyish-man with a friendly smirk. "Though, you never get close."  
  
Kuwabara pulled back a fist and lunged at his friend, who was preparing with his own punch. "That's mean, but you're right! Come on--"  
  
Something beeped in Kuwabara's bag, distracting the big guy.  
  
Yusuke's fist connected with Kazuma's face. "Orleeaaaahhh!" cried Kuwabara as he was flung across the air and landed on his back on the mat. He quickly regained his footing to keep from falling on the mat again. "Yaro!! That was cheap!!"  
  
The beeping continued and he gulped, shutting off the buzzing noise in his bag. "I was supposed to meet Yukina-chan back at home! Ja ne, Urameshi!!" He got his bag and fled the room.  
  
Yusuke blinked, shrugged, and got his pack, slinging it over one shoulder. He left the training room he built himself, locking the door behind him. He walked down stairs that were similar to the ones near Genkai's temple.  
  
He heard a rustling of leaves above him and looked up. He smiled and greeted, "Hey, Baldak. How's it hangin'?"  
  
The gray demon landed beside him. His long white hair was disheveled and soaked with rain. "Something doesn't look good with Kurohi and Kurohi's friend."  
  
The man blinked. He knew Kurohi - that much was perfectly clear - but this person called: "Kurohi's friend"? "Kurohi's friend? Dare desu ka?"  
  
Baldak took off somewhere, leathery wings urgently hitting the air. Yusuke followed the demon to some odd area in the forest. When Baldak landed, Yusuke got a good look at what Baldak meant.  
  
Blue, brown, and white spikes of hair met his gaze before he saw the figure. The blue hair draped against the boy's shoulders and the other- colored spikes drooped, completely saturated with water. The boy was panting with fatigue and one blue eye cracked open at him. "Yu-Yusuke..." He turned his head to look at something else. "O-...o-tasuke kanojo..."  
  
Urameshi approached him and looked to where the boy indicated.  
  
The woman had lighter blue hair out of its usual ponytail. Her pink kimono was tattered and charred. She was unconscious.  
  
"B-Botan!" He said, kneeling before the woman. He turned his head to the boy. "Oi, Kurohi, doushita no e Botan?!"  
  
"Inazuma. Reikai ga... Reikai ga..."  
  
Yusuke walked over and picked up the oar rider of the Reikai into both arms. He knelt down in front of the tired boy and asked, "The Reikai is what?"  
  
Kurohi's eyes narrowed and glazed. He wanted to sleep for a long time. "U- Umi..." His eyes closed as he fell into slumber.  
  
"W-We..." mumbled Botan. Had she been awake at some time? "...must go to Kasane Shrine and find.. Hinageshi."  
  
Yusuke blinked down at her. "Nan da te?!  
  
"P-Please, Yusuke." Unconsciousness gripped her again, and she was out like a light.  
  
"Botan!" The man turned back the way he came and jogged down the stairs. He knew Kurohi would be fine on his own. He was a tough Tsuki Ryu, after all. After some time, someone in a skirt came his way. The man slowed to a halt, and he realized who that woman was. "Keiko!"  
  
"Botan-san, doushita no?!" she cried, peering sadly at her friend's unconscious form.  
  
Yusuke's face frowned. "I don't know what's going on. Something about 'ocean'..."  
  
"Botan-san..."  
  
The man's eyes opened slightly from their frown. The rest of his face remained equally grave. "Keiko, would you hurry and take Botan to Genkai- baasan's temple?"  
  
His wife nodded and accepted the burden.  
  
Yusuke turned back where he had come. Limping down the stairs, came a drowsy Kurohi. The boy rubbed one eye and yawned.  
  
The brown-eyed one gave him a curious stare. [I thought he was unconscious!]  
  
"Koenma-koi woke me up. Said I'd better get off my lazy ass and follow you." He yawned widely. "I'm sooo tired from flying here. Becoming a dragon saps a lot out of you..." He widely yawned again, showing pointy fangs. He still had bits and chunks of blue hair flowing most elegantly from his scalp, and half a headgear accented some, the ends protruding past his skull. Part of his tail was "missing", but it didn't look at all like an injury. His tail simply looked... shorter.  
  
Yusuke nodded. "We have to get Kuwabara," he stated, waiting for the other boy to walk alongside him.  
  
The youkai yawned. "So call him on the cell," he retorted lazily, walking alongside the delinquent.  
  
The man snorted. "I left that at home. It had to recharge since I left it off the hook for a week nonstop - the battery died."  
  
Kurohi's form shifted and his blue hair disappeared, making Yusuke slightly confused as to what kind of transformation that had been. A moment later, wings appeared for his arms and his body shifted into that of a gray dragon. "Let's go. Hop on..." He paused to pant. "I can't hold this form for too long or else I could fall into a reallllllllllly long sleep. /Reallllllllllly long sleep/ equals a sleep that'll last months - longer than we can afford. "  
  
Yusuke complied, climbing upon the dragon's back. The gray wings fluttered and beat against the air with force, allowing them to ascend into the bright blue sky.  
  
****  
  
Kuwabara dashed alongside his best friend. He had finally been convinced of the situation when Kurohi had passed out in his living room. Yukina then had used her powers to awaken the lad with a full charge of energy, but he somehow passed out again in her arms, mumbling nonstop about how he was "gonna fuck Koenma-koi senseless when he got back".  
  
Without telling anyone, Yukina had taken the sleep-talking Kurohi to Genkai's Temple, having to bear just HOW many times and HOW many ways he would fuck Koenma along the way. Her husband was unaware that she had decided to go to Genkai's Temple.  
  
"Oi, Urameshi! So, what is soooo important at Kasane Shrine so that it would interrupt my time with Yukina-chan?!!" he demanded as he ran beside him.  
  
"I don't know," clipped Yusuke. It seemed there was no time! No time for explanations. No time for anything. Just run and complete the objective. Hopefully, they weren't too late.  
  
"You don't know?!" Kuwabara grabbed his friend by the front of his green shirt. "You didn't find out any details?" He was steaming, yet in the back of his mind, this was how Yusuke ALWAYS was - act now, think later. Even after ten years, he hadn't changed.  
  
Yusuke swatted the oaf's hand away and crossed his arms against his chest. "Teh! There was no time for that!" He would have understood more if some TIME remained to spare!  
  
The carrot top put his hands near his hips before making a gesture in the air. "You're not any use at all. I would have found out everything from start to--"  
  
A girl's scream cut his sentence short. Yusuke, with a shout of, "Over there!" suddenly shoved Kuwabara against the nearby wall, where the scream originated. He jumped up his back, then to his head, and vaulted over the high wall, resulting with many stuttering complaints from Kuwabara.  
  
After a second more of gibberish, Kuwabara's fist clenched and he settled for, "Koera!!" (You bastard!)  
  
~~~~~~  
  
A red-haired woman fled down the stairs from some demons appearing just near her. "What do you want?"  
  
The demons begin pursuit at the shrine.  
  
The woman yelped, "Get away from me!"  
  
One demon in pursuit destroys a statue to his right with a kick, but he was aiming for the green-eyed gal. It stood behind her and to her right. The demon transformed to a grayish demon form and lunged at her. The redhead continued to run but screeched to a halt as an eagle-like demon blocked her path. It immediately attacked with a double-edged sword clutched in its right hand. The gal dodged to her right and kept running. The demons pursuit and more demons gave chase. A rock-like demon threw a pointed, stone-like part of its body at the short woman and it landed just in front of her, breaking the stone ground, but she saw it just as it landed and placed her hands onto the top of it and vaulted over in one movement. She ran down the stairs and not too long after, a demon made a grab for her, but misses.  
  
A dark-haired man leapt up the stairs in one vault with a cry and kicked one demon in the face. While still airborne, he kicked the other in the face as well. When he landed, he had turned to the side.  
  
In fright, the woman ran behind a well-like adornment on her temple grounds. Who was this man? Certainly, he was cute, but she had noticed a flicker of gold on his finger - a ring. [He's married...]  
  
Yusuke jumped backward as a demon lunged for him. Frowning, he leaped up into the air and delivered a punch to a demon, drawing a good deal of blood, then he turned around and kicked it in the chest and the jaw with one kick, causing even more of the violet-tinged life-fluid to spill. It spattered just along his kick and his body dodged the fluid as if it were poison. Yusuke then brought back his left fist, glowing with blue spirit energy, and cried, throwing his fist forward, "Shotto Gan!" The raining Reiki blasted the demons in his path to both oblivion and pieces.  
  
The woman peeked out from her hiding place. A mummified demon with one red eye suddenly landed before her and straightened up. He grabbed her neck and lifted her up into the air. Weakly, and with a soft cry, she tried to pry his hand away from her neck. A demon went flying nearby and the mummified demon turned around, Hinageshi's neck still in his grasp.  
  
Kuwabara leapt toward the mummified demon, left fist drawn back for a punch. He hit the mummified demon into multiple parts, thus freeing a now screaming red-haired lady. She landed on the ground on her back. Kuwabara knelt before her and grabbed her shoulders for her own comfort. "Don't worry," he uttered, trying to calm her.  
  
The woman's green eyes widened and she screamed and fled as two demons appeared behind the carrot-top. Kuwabara turned around with a, "Sh'ni!" and rolled away from the swords and their joined blows. He rose to his feet and pulled his right arm aside, palm out. "Rei Keeeeeeeeen!" He pulls back his arm, Spirit Sword in tow, and sliced through one of the one-eyed demons. He then cut through the demons, two at a time until there was only one to a row and column.  
  
Yusuke brought back his arm and punched another demon in the face, dealing great damage to the strange-feeling skin and bone. The demon's face split, sending blood everywhere.  
  
Kuwabara cut through one demon in half vertically and another horizontally in a second blow.  
  
Yusuke blocked one of the demon's blows with his left arm and delivered a punch to the demon's chest with his right.  
  
The Rei Ken cut both a demon and a statue diagonally in two with one stroke. His left hand came up behind his head and he uttered, "Ataa. Didn't mean to do that..." He then looked down and noticed the forehead of the demon that he just killed. It had a glowing red cross on it and it suddenly disappeared as if it was never there. Kuwabara put away his Rei Ken while transfixed with that mark that he saw. What was that mark? What did it mean?  
  
Yusuke approached the woman with Kuwabara in tow. "Daijoubu ka?"  
  
The woman stuttered instantly, "H-Hai!" She came out from behind the well- like statue on her Temple grounds. "You two are investigators from the Reikai, aren't you?" she asked.  
  
With a slight start, the black-haired male with big brown eyes asked in return, "And you are...?"  
  
"My name is Hinageshi. I am a guide of the Reikai," she replied.  
  
**********  
  
A huge forest surrounds a temple. A waterfall flows to the temple's right, at times looking rather inviting. The sun shone low in the sky.  
  
Indeed, this is Genkai's Temple.  
  
"Botan!" cried the ferry-woman as she saw her friend. Botan looked like she has a fever. She breathed raggedly and she wore a wet washcloth on her forehead. She slept uneasily in a futon.  
  
"What is this? What could have...?!" started the red-haired oar rider.  
  
Keiko then entered the room with a basin of cool water. She slid open the door as she entered, and solemnly closed it when she was fully inside. The cloth was re-wetted, placed back on Botan's forehead, and Keiko gently moved Botan's blue bangs out of her face. Botan turned her head and Keiko's kind effort was almost for naught.  
  
Yusuke looked up from Botan's face and fixed his gaze at Genkai. "How is Botan's condition?"  
  
Genkai, sitting cross-legged, replied somberly, "It's in the balance. Something serious must have happened to the Reikai. We won't really know what happened until little Kurohi wakes up from his slumber or if someone presents some useful information." She lowered her head a little, eyes shut. Yusuke straightened up and looked to his right as someone began to slide open the door.  
  
The quiet intruder had long, spiked red hair darkened by the shadows. Its green jacket protected it from the cool, and its blue turtleneck sweater helped further. Its white slacks were an amazing contrast, telling anyone who cared to look that the wearer did not necessarily wish to go completely undetected at this current time.  
  
"Kurama!" Kuwabara exclaimed.  
  
Kurama slid the door closed. "The Reikai... was gone," was all he said, looking completely baffled.  
  
Kuwabara barely managed to stutter a, "Nani?!" Everyone's mouths went agape - save Genkai's - and their eyes became wide.  
  
**********  
  
A huge statue adorned the back of the room everyone sat in. Everyone is seated on the ground and Kurama continues, "Actually, that is not accurate. I should say it was covered by water."  
  
"That helps explain what Kurohi told me."  
  
Kurama turned his green gaze to his friend. "What did he tell you?"  
  
"He said the word... /Ocean/..." answered Yusuke. "He said, /Lightening. The Reikai is... The Reikai is... Ocean.../."  
  
"Demo, dou shite?" asked the red-haired, dark-eyed oaf. "Why would the Reikai be covered by water, like an ocean?"  
  
Yusuke sat up and folded his arms across his chest as Kurama replied, "Some immeasurably strong power must have gained control."  
  
Kuwabara murmured, "No way..."  
  
"What could have the power to do that?" asked Genkai, folding her arms across her bosom.  
  
"When I was there," began the red-haired beauty. "some phantoms wearing the pattern of a cross on the foreheads" - Genkai chose this time to look at him. - "were looking for something."  
  
Hinageshi gasped and said, "It must have been the Meikai!"  
  
Genkai frowned. Yusuke looked at Hinageshi. "Meikai...?"  
  
Hinageshi: "Un." She nods. "Those phantoms were demons controlled by the Meikai," she stated, bringing a fist that looks like half a cross in front of her right eye. "Their symbol is that cross." She lowered her hand and seemed to be looking just barely past the oaf who sat next to her.  
  
Kuwabara, looking at her, leaned closer to her. "Hold it. What is this /Meikai/? As far as I know, there are just the Ningenkai," He began to tick them off on his fingers. "the Reikai, and the Makai." He, eyes crossed, looked up in confusion. Where did this fourth world come from? What was it like? Why wasn't he ever told about it?  
  
Hinageshi brought out a book from her haori and began to rapidly flip the pages. "Eh, here it is. To begin with, above the Ningenkai lies the Reikai. The two of them are in balance," she explained.  
  
On what looks like a scroll in the book, a blue-skinned, green-haired demon stands near some red flames. It has red eyes and looks like it just executed an attack or a command. It looks no different than any youkai.  
  
"Well, humans who have died do go to the Reikai," inputted the oaf.  
  
"And the Meikai was originally above and in balance with the Makai," finished the woman. "So, you could call that the Meikai is the Makai's Reikai just as the Reikai is the Ningenkai's Meikai."  
  
Kuwabara blinked in confusion and looked further at the pages. The demon had many minions all bent on attacking someone.  
  
"Then, several thousand years ago, the Meikai began war with the Reikai in order to gain possession of the Ningenkai."  
  
Kuwabara stared further. The creature was fighting Enma-daiou. Enma blocks the flaming attack with his left hand while preparing to strike with his right. Many against one.  
  
"Exactly how we were able to defeat him is unknown but Enma-daiou did finally destroy the Meikai and banish their King Yakumo and his men to the darkness of space." She closed her book as she finished speaking.  
  
Yusuke braced his upper body up by placing his right hand on his knee. He didn't seem weak, but maybe he was a little drowsy. Who knew with the guy? He usually hid his weaknesses, but on the other hand, his emotions could be read like an open book. "So, how did the Meikai come back into existence?" He looked to Genkai.  
  
"If the Meikai is responsible for this disturbance," Genkai picked up her teacup and saucer. "it could become a very dangerous situation." She sipped her tea a little noisily for a moment and finished, "We cannot repel them alone."  
  
A soft breeze came into the room and blew against Yusuke, Kurama's, Kuwabara's and Hinageshi's hair. Their minds were lost in thought and they did not pay mind to this act of nature.  
  
**********  
  
The sky had grown dark and the moon decided to take the sun's place in lighting the world. Someone stood upon a treetop. The wind blew, moving the boy's long and hair and the branches around him. The wind fluttered his cloak and the boy stares at the temple. He looks almost thoughtful, as, most likely, he heard the whole conversation. He IS a strong youkai, after all.  
  
[Meikai ga...] He blinks as he thinks this. [In any case, it has nothing to do with me.] He frowned, turned, and leapt. His body, during the leap, is given a golden light as he passed in front of the bluish-white moon. He landed silently on a tree branch and leapt again in one motion. He landed on this new branch, his cloak ruffling at the contact. He smoothly straightened up and turned his head. He gasped softly, and at the temple...  
  
"Eaaaa? Yukina-chan is here?" asked said woman's husband eagerly. The main doors swung open abruptly. Keiko seemed a little surprised at the suddenness, but not at all by his behavior. With a twirl, Kuwabara ran to his right. "Yukina-chaaaaaaaaaan!"  
  
In a small case of jitters, Keiko stuttered, "Uh, she's with Botan-san."  
  
Practically skipping with joy and with a weird, happy sound, he ran the other way. It sounds like, "Atadadaaaaa!" Happily, he slide open the doors to the proper room. "Hello, Yukina-chan! How've you been?" He points at her, but he means no harm, of course.  
  
The Koorime sadly looks up at him. She had been trying to heal Botan, but it seemed she had not been successful. Kuwabara's eyes looked concerned for his wife.  
  
"Yukina-chan..."  
  
Eyes watering, Yukina replies, "Kazuma-chan..." She looked away. "Gomen ne... I'm really glad to see you, but..."  
  
"I-Iya..."  
  
"Botan-san, demo doshita?" His wife's face is lowered. It seemed she wanted to cry.  
  
Kuwabara looked down at her, standing up pretty tall, nonetheless.  
  
"An unhappy face like that doesn't suit you, Yukina-chan." Yukina looks up at him with a little confusion in her big red eyes.  
  
"Bravely", Kuwabara continues, "I, Kuwabara Kazuma shall resolve everything!" He bowed toward her. "Soon we will be smiling happily again." He chuckled, then Yukina did the same. Kuwabara grasped her small hands into his own--  
  
"Yukina-chan!"  
  
--His face turned beat red and steamed.  
  
"Da-Daijoubu desu ka? Your temperature's going up and up."  
  
Kuwabara's voice has changed in a weird way. "That is the power of love."  
  
Yukina gasps, as she sometimes still had to get used to this. Ningen were kinda weird. Kuwabara begins chuckling.  
  
[He is so hard to understand.] Her eyes water.  
  
Keiko approached and stood near the doorway. "You're in the way, Kuwabara."  
  
Kuwabara put a hand against the back of his head, laughing nervously.  
  
Hiei landed near the bank of a pond not too far from the three. He looked a little hurt. Hurt that, yet again, he hadn't been there for his sister. "Yukina..."  
  
As Kurama begins to speak, Hiei's eyes travel quickly to where the fox is. He looks ticked off. "Why don't you go to Yukina? Or maybe check up on your student?"  
  
Hiei's body relaxes slightly. It's only his lover, after all. "I don't need your advice right now."  
  
The shadows remove themselves from Kurama's form. His white slacks stand out among a green jacket over a blue turtleneck. He slowly straightens up from leaning against a wooden pole attached to the temple. "Hiei..." He slowly approached his dark lover and embraced him from behind, his arms wrapping around his itoshii's slim waist. He uttered, "This is no ordinary event. Even your student was affected. Even more so, unless this is cleared up, he will be without a lover as well." Kurama's green eyes slid shut. "And if it ever were you, I would be devastated"  
  
Hiei replied instantly with a, "Hmph." He slowly turns his head to the fox. "That's never really happened to me before. Shiru ka." He paused and touched Kurama's hands. "I'm going to check up on Kurohi."  
  
"Let's go together, then. Whatever's important to you is important to me." He released his dark and light-haired lover. Hiei entered through the open door, Kurama in tow, and knelt next to his sleeping student.  
  
"Yukina," began Hiei. His younger sister turned her head to him.  
  
"Onisan, nan desu ka?" she replied, turning her attention to her older brother as Keiko took her shift over Botan.  
  
"How long has he been asleep."  
  
"Ever since earlier today," she uttered, tucking a wayward strand of turquoise hair behind her ear. "He exerted a great deal of effort just to get Botan-san over into the Ningenkai. He passed out twice - both times at my house. The first time because his energy was gone, the second time after I gave him a Reiki boost, but it didn't work. How strange..."  
  
"...Otousan..." mumbled the boy, frowning in his sleep.  
  
Hiei blinked at his student. "As far as I know, he doesn't have a living father. He even told me that he never met his dad."  
  
"We know how *that* sounds familiar, ne, Hiei?" asked the red-eyed woman.  
  
Kurohi turned on his side in his futon, knees drawn halfway up his body. He grit his teeth. His hair shifted to dark blue and his skin grew deathly pale, acquiring a pale blue tinge. His tail stopped twitching, and armor appeared on his body. With a soft gasp, his blue-violet eyes opened up. He slid out of the futon and stared at his body and his armor. "I'm... this again... This form..."  
  
He lacked a tail. Sleek, dragon-scale-like armor perched on his chest and head. He wore a Chinese-like wardrobe underneath the silver armor. He blinked. "But... why now? I could almost swear that I had lost access to this form... Is it because of what Koenma said - my father... LIVES?!" He paused. "It must be. Majari IS alive. He said so. He wouldn't lie to me." He stood up and strode out of the temple.  
  
End Day 23  
  
--------------------------------  
  
otasuke = help  
  
kanojo = her  
  
doushita no = what happened?  
  
e = to  
  
inazuma = lightning  
  
Reikai ga = The Spirit World is  
  
Nan da te?! = What?!  
  
Ataa = Oops.  
  
Demo doushita = But why is Botan...?  
  
Shiru ka. = How would I know?  
  
Started: 8/16/03 9:21AM  
  
Finished: 12/17/03 5:36PM  
  
DAMN, it took me so long! _ Sorry 'bout that, y'all! 


	38. Day At the Fair Side Story Cut Version

10 Years of Waiting - Side Story  
  
by Kurohi Tatsaki  
  
Day at the Fair - cut version  
  
Disclaimer - I don't own YYH; am not making money off this; am not Yoshihiro Togashi; however, he is one of my mangaka gods. #starts bowing#  
  
Claim-er - Kurohi, Yamiryuinu, Shirokoori, & all the other original characters #I# & Kohaku Frost come up with are property of Beware of Mage & Tsuki Ryu Productions. Use our characters without permission & we will be pissed. All you have to do is contact one of us and we'll probably say that you can use our characters - we just have to know that you're using them. Just leave the user address that you're going to be hosting them on and we'll probably say okay. If you make money off our characters, we want some of the profit except what is your own creation. Okay? Are we clear enough?  
  
This mini story takes place 1 year after everything in 10YoW. Koenma/Kurohi. Kurohi probably HAS changed a little, so don't be alarmed if he's acting a little different... Oh, and I'm not going to spoil anything further. I cut out the lemony stuffs themselves, though.  
  
This is a gift to my loyal readers! Thank you so, so much for your support! To view the uncut version of this, here's my profile on trust you know how to copy the text and paste it to the url bar.  
  
(Maybe I should do the same for Hiei & Kurama, Yusuke &Keiko, and Kuwabara & Yukina? Well, either way, it depends on my fickle muse. She's SO into slacking right now it isn't funny.  
  
(Taka [my muse]: Hey!!!)  
  
/quotes in speech/ Yowahaiiro since something doesn't work %telepathic speech% #emphasis since the asterisk doesn't work#  
  
--------------------------------  
  
I sip my tea - which is #loaded# with sugar this time, as I am in a sweet mood rather than a bad one - thoughtfully, holding excitement within my body with practiced ease, but my tail is a dead giveaway. It keeps twitching and flinging about as if I was angry. 'Ttaku, my tail's excited about today. Then again, it's actually ME that's excited, and I smile. Hmph.  
  
The stamping starts and I chance a glance at my lover. Even in toddler form, he is the sexiest creature that I have ever seen. Isn't that weird? Though, I don't find it weird because this child isn't a child. He has a long life and he knows a lot more than I could have ever known in the past.  
  
Even when #I# looked like a child, I wasn't for very long. I still looked like a prepubescent even when I hit age forty, and those were the dog days. But, those days brought me to where I am now, so I don't loathe them as much as one without love would.  
  
I sigh slightly and slap on my horny little smirk that I use, thinking of something that would allow a flush to appear on my face. Oh, yesss... Koenma spread eagle, naked, and waiting for my touch. Yesss... that'll do just fine. Oh, man, is Koenma going to be happy once I give him the news about today!  
  
My tail adapts the aroused feeling, swishing slowly despite the confinement of the chair I'm sitting on, and I stare at it for a moment before gathering my thoughts into coherent order. Setting my teacup on the saucer and onto the small table near the chair I'm sitting on - Koenma always needs his desk with minimal clutter despite all the papers - I stuff one hand into my pocket and place my other hand on the large desk in front of me. As my tail slowly twitches, my ass sways ever so slowly. "Oh, Koenmaaaa- koii..." I purr.  
  
Recognizing my tone, he looks up. "Not now, Kuro-chan. I'm busy." He looks back down, continuing to stamp.  
  
"Koenma-koi!" I utter, moaning with his name.  
  
He snorts derisively and glares up. I smile innocently, the blush fading. I pull up a wad of yen from my pocket, clutching it in my hand. "You don't need to do that right now." I reach over and take the "OK" stamp out of his hand, smiling sexily despite his small cry of protest. "I got your father to let you have the day off," I say in a singsong voice. "There's a fair going on right now and..." I trail, my face flushing sheepishly. ...I want you to go out with me...  
  
My chestnut-haired lover pulls his hat down over his face, then pulls it off with a pop and a poof of smoke. Now, in the soft throne, my elegant, cute, sexy, un-satiable lover comes into view as the smoke clears. "I'd love to go." His eye glitters with eagerness and he stands up fluidly, showing off his grace. I can't help but stare as the familiar flutter in my stomach makes itself known, and my heart begins to pound. Kami, I love the feeling! The euphoria! I can't seem to get enough of it! How the hell did I survive without it?! "When are we leaving?"  
  
I glance at my Ningenkai clothing - a short-sleeved, tight tee-shirt, a pair of jeans (unfortunately) hide my ass, and a pair of blue sneakers - and then to his thick robes. "As soon as you change your sexy butt to some Human World clothing. #Then#, we can hit the road."  
  
Koenma smiles; I feel faint. Every day is like falling in love with him all over again... and only it keeps getting deeper... and deeper...  
  
...and I'll gladly drown in it. Eien ni.  
  
###  
  
As soon as my lover's ready, we head out.  
  
I grin at him and once I lead him to a point near the River Styx, I - with a bit of effort - open a portal to a safe-spot in Ningenkai.  
  
"You've gotten a bit stronger, eh, koi?"  
  
My smile widens. "Only for you." I clasp our hands together and look him in the eyes, my grin shifting into one of nearly-hyper confidence. "Iko."  
  
He nods once. "Un."  
  
We hop through and wind up in a forest by that ice cream shop. Kurama's ki is everywhere... with a dollop of Hiei's, too. I grin at the image of the demon couple and we walk. I let Koenma walk ahead of me a little so I can observe him. He's wearing black leather, pants and DAAAAAMN does it cling to the soft curves of his hips and thighs, and especially on his ass! Oh, boy, I can feel myself starting to drool... The leather on his torso is a low-cut tank top that shows off his less-muscular - than mine - delicate frame. His hair is disheveled as always, but somehow still neat, and I earlier got a glimpse of his blue binky around his neck, containing his ruthless energies. Of course, once he lets it loose, it's explosive like hydrogen gas... Oh, that's right, I'm taking classes in Kurama's ningen high school... and I also saw some movie that had a really mild explosion throughout the whole facility and then some - to ningen, it's a HUGE explosion, but to what #I'm# used to, it's teeny tiny.  
  
Koenma turns to see me and he chuckles. "Stop gawking and start walking, star-head."  
  
I raise one eyebrow and lower the other one in a look of mock indignation at my still-complex hairstyle. I swear, if it were drawn, it'd be a buttload to finish. All those dimensions... "Okay, okay, fine." I tromp up to walk with him and walk slightly ahead. I hear HIS feet stopping and I sense his heart jack-hammering against his chest. I smirk slightly and tip my face up in pride, also sensing some females gawking at me. I send a little more flair into my movements, making them lazier, and I hear a few catcalls.  
  
You tease.  
  
%Yes, obviously, you adore the attention, koi.%  
  
I pause in my actions and look over my shoulder, still smirking. %Don't go teaming up on me, you two!% I pause again. %Matte, how can you hear Yowahaiiro, itoshii?%  
  
%We're bound, remember?%  
  
%I haven't forgotten,% I reply.  
  
Nor have I.  
  
%Let's just get goin', eh?% I sigh and turn around and retrieve my lover, then we continue on our way. %My tail's tryin' to wag in my pants!% I complained, growling softly.  
  
Koenma merely chuckles and playfully punches my shoulder. I growl just as playfully and hit him back, laughing as he suddenly looks indignant. "You'll pay for that later, Kuro'!"  
  
"Aa, aa... whatever!" I laugh harder and wipe a stray tear from my eye. "Iko, iko!"  
  
The rest of the trip is relatively uneventful, and soon enough, we hear the amicable chatter of many humans in one place. And, like new, I look around with refreshed eyes that shine in the sunlight. "Ohmigod, it's changed since I last came here!" I frown, then ask my koibito, Why is "came" and words associated to it, so common?  
  
%Wakattana. It's more of an English innuendo than Japanese.%  
  
%Oh.% I smirk warmly and cock my head back a little. "Why don't we go have some fun?"  
  
He smiles back and grabs my hand. He immediately begins to tug me from stand to stand. The first place that we go to is the Cotton Candy stand, which I pay for willingly. I sink my tongue into the confection, reveling at how it melts instantly on it. I watch Koenma from the corner of my eye, and it seems that he's having fun with the sugar, too. "Totemo oishiidasu..." he murmurs, sticking a lot of it into his mouth in one go.  
  
It looks like he's sucking cock to me... his tongue swirling idly across the fluffy pink stuff... and dipping deeper into...  
  
With a shudder and an almost audible swallow, I stifle the thought and suck thoughtfully on my pink sugar and close my eyes a little. I'm already feeling a little hyper, too, but my libido is also trying to have a say or two. I glance his way and I am surprised to note that he's now sitting on a bench, idly observing the rides. I sit next to him and idly rub his thigh, glaring at those who gawk at the two of us. %They act like they've never seen two hot, gay guys before.%  
  
%...It is tradition to not flaunt your partner,% Koenma thinks back quietly.  
  
%...So? I don't care what they think.%  
  
Koenma sighs and suckles his sugar, copper eyes gazing up at some of the rides. "Let's not go on the roller coaster, okay? Once was more than enough to last me a few millenniums."  
  
"Okies. We don't have to go on that one. However, I, for one, like them, so if you like, you can watch me go twirly-twirly, ne?" I say, giggling with the rush that sugar consumption brings me.  
  
"That sounds like fun. Maybe in a bit, okay? I wanna finish my sugar."  
  
"Ahaha... not a problem." I can't help but smile and I spot a bit of cotton candy fluffy on his nose. I near my face to his and lick up the sugar, and he looks at me cross-eyed. My grin widens and I chuckle, proceeding to continue sucking on my own pink fluffy stuff.  
  
"Koibito..."  
  
I glance up at him and gasp as he manages to kiss my lips in a short embrace. "Ehhh... nan desu ka?" I stutter, glancing about us. No one saw... oh well.  
  
"...Are you ashamed of me?" a soft bitterness laces his tone as he frowns.  
  
Noticing his anger, I reply, "Nope. I was hoping someone saw. Looks like they're all ignorant and shit. Oh well." I turn to him and smile. "I can't be ashamed of you. You're more than I've ever desired. Even MUCH more so than what my so-called race said I deserved." My eyelids cover my eyes for a moment before I blink back awake and look around. "So, what do you want to play?"  
  
He finishes his sugar and, tossing away the paper cone, he marches over to one of the strength testers. I grin like a kid in a candy store - I feel like one too, due to the amount of sugar I've eaten - and follow my lover. I pay the man the charge and he hands the mallet to my lover as soon as I step back. Koenma pulls the hammer across his shoulder and then lets it fly in one whoosh. The bell gongs loudly a half second after the impact and the gruff, kind-eyed man stares at my brunette like he grew a second head. Nevertheless, he hands Koenma a big stuffed white tiger with big blue eyes.  
  
I devour the rest of my sugar and crinkle up the cone. I swat Koenma's back in a friendly manner while I stuff the wrapper into my pocket. I pay the man for my own go and he hesitantly gives me the hammer, seemingly dreading my victory. It weighs a bit, but not too much. I hold it with one hand and grin up at him cheekily, struggling not to laugh at his almost-scared, wide- eyed stare. I pull it over my shoulder with ease and let it fly down with one hand.  
  
{Goonnnnnng!!}  
  
I grin up at him as he stares. He gives me an akita stuffed animal. Giving the guy back the hammer and leaving him to think about what I'm on to make me so strong, I have fun with the toy's curly tail, pulling it straight out just to watch it corkscrew back into place again. I catch up with Koenma and toss away my wrapper absently and I chirp, "Kaaaawaiii!  
  
Gold eyes glance back at me, then down at the toy puppy. "What's cute? Me, the cat, or the dog?"  
  
"All uv 'em," I reply, grinning. "I like doggies. Doggy doggy doggy," I tweet in a rush like a child. I feel like one, too. I tug at the dog's perky white ear and then toy with its curly tail again. Reclaiming some of my seriousness, I continue, "You're not just cute, though. You're sexy as hell, y'know that?"  
  
He smiles with a sound of appreciation. "Yeah, I do."  
  
"Good, 'cuz I'll never let you forget it." I nuzzle my nose at his cheek and growl as a female passersby seems disgusted at my display of affection. "Oh, screw off!" I retort, sidling closer to my lover protectively and baring my teeth like a beast. Then, I wrap an arm around my lover with my free hand and continue, "What, you haven't seen two people in love before?!" I then kiss Koenma's cheek, ignoring her. I make her strut away by doing this and I feel pleased.  
  
"Um, koi, I think the sugar's gone to your head."  
  
"So what?" I ask, grinning like a fool.  
  
"Maybe you should calm down?" he asks me pointedly.  
  
I concede, but not before retorting in my defense, "I'm hyperactive, okay? Any sugar in my system's gonna get me riled up. Su---gar!!!!"  
  
"Fine, fine," he allotted. "You want me to hold onto your doggy while you go on the roller-coaster?"  
  
"Pwease?" I say, offering my big white poochy.  
  
Chuckling, my lover takes my puppy - well, it's not a puppy 'cuz its ears are standing up, but oh well - and I run off to the stands at the roller- coaster. As I stand in line, a boy in front of me turns around. He has black hair and seductive green eyes, but I'm immune due to my love-ties to Koenma and my sugar rush.  
  
"You wanna sit with me on the ride?"  
  
"I jes wanna SIT on the ride!" I retort, hyper as ever. I grin.  
  
The boy glances over to the ride and counts the people compared to the number of seats left. Once he's done, he says, "If anything, we'll have to wait for the next round 'cuz you can't sit on my lap. But if you could, you'd be more than welcome to."  
  
He must be one of those American boys - those few that are confident with their sexuality. I smile sweetly; all due to my sugar high. "I'm sorry; I'm taken. So there."  
  
"Oh yeah? So, what's this gal got that I don't?"  
  
I look him up and down, resting my chin in my fist and letting my lips brush against my pointer finger a little. "Hmm... Well, he has everything that you don't got."  
  
"What? A vagina?!"  
  
I frown. "No. He's a he, stupid."  
  
"Then what?!!"  
  
"He's strong, smart, cute, sexy, has a great body, has a nice sense of humor... I could go on forever. Plus, most importantly, he has me." I wink and shove him along. "Now, it's your turn to ride. Buh-bye!" I chirp, grinning at his pale face.  
  
The ticket man looks at me weirdly. I blink at him. "What? Something on my face?"  
  
He shakes his head. "Nope, nothin', kid. You just strike me as the odd type, is all. Now, do you have enough money for the ride?"  
  
I nod and fish it out, clutching the yen bills in my right hand. "Yup, yup." And, of course, I may act like a kid, but I'm not one at all. However, I don't think that telling this guy that I was over fifty years his senior would be a good thing. Best to let him believe what he would.  
  
Looking up, I watch as the ride flies across the highest of areas only to dip down, crawl up, plummet again, and spin so crazily I felt even more hyper with the thrill of being able to go on such a work of art.  
  
I just hope that these riders - as well as the ones I'd ride with - wouldn't get sick. It SO would kill my mood for, like, five minutes! And I cannot ever waste a good five minutes of sugar-induced energy and optimisticism. And, yes, I made that "ism" word up. So there.  
  
After a few minutes more, the ride comes to a halt a its starting place. After the other occupants - queasy, sick, or otherwise - dismount, I fork over the money and get in the front seat. Grinning like an idiot, I look at the far wall and try not to bounce too much.  
  
Someone sits down next to me and I turn my head to see. "Kon'chi wa!" I greet, grinning.  
  
It's a girl. She has short, dark brown hair that falls to her shoulders and big brown eyes. She seems no older than I, but we all know that I'm really, really old. "Ko... kon'nichi wa," she replies. "This is my first time on a roller-coaster. So, um..." She starts blushing all uva sudden, and I get the feeling that she likes me. "Namae wa desu ka? And, where do you get your hair done? It's very... unique."  
  
"Ha ha. I do it myself. It's, more or less, naturally like that," I reply. "Namae wa Kurohi - how about you? Now, you say that this's your first time on a 'coaster? I hope you don't get motion-sick."  
  
"Oh, no, not at all," she replies. "I've been on a log ride and I can tolerate the long, vertical drops no problem. Oh, my name's Amiria."  
  
"Ah, sou desu ka? Then, you'll have no problem with it." I smile. "Yoroshiku."  
  
She giggles. "Nice to meet you, too. What about you - y'know, with the roller-coaster? As in, how many times have you been on one? You certainly seem rather bubbly and excited."  
  
I grin some more, and my expression turns almost impish. "I've been on two or three in my lifetime. No side affects except what you're seein' now. I'm a little hyper from cotton candy right now. Nya ha!"  
  
"So, once you're done with this ride, you'll be even more hyper?"  
  
I nod. "Aa." I loosely fold my arms against my chest. "I'm calming down just a little, but once this ride gets goin', I'll be yap-yap-yappin' and who knows what else. I'll probably start screamin'." I wink and she blushes.  
  
"Heh heh. So, um, can I ask a question?"  
  
"You have vocal cords," I reply, confusion etched in my voice. "So even if you did ask, I might not answer."  
  
"Um, do you have a girlfriend?"  
  
I hesitate, then blush. "We-well, um..." Koenma's face appears in my mind's eye and my smile changes to a dreamy one instead of a giddy grin. I hear the girl's heartbeat quicken - probably because of my expression. I blink out of my love-struck phase and I reply, "Actually..." I bite my lip, release it, and blurt quietly, "...I have a boyfriend. Sorry to ruin your plans, toots." I smile at her, then I try to cheer her up when her face falls. "You'll find someone, with a pretty face and eyes like that, I'm bettin' that you have to knock potential boys and girls away with a huge stick. In fact, I'd also wager..." I trail, looking her up and down. Her tank top shirt reveals some moderate cleavage and her shorts end at her knees, followed by silky-looking, long tanned legs. Her feet were kind of small, but that's no problem. I snap my gaze up to her face. "...that if I weren't spoken for already, I'd go out with you. And that's sayin' a lot, 'cuz I normally don't find girls sexually attractive to me."  
  
She simply stares at me.  
  
The safety bar suddenly falls across my lap and the ride jerks forward. I yelp at the suddenness, "HOLY CRAP, THIS SUCKA'S FINALLY MOVIN'!!" I grin. "IT'S ABOUT TIME!"  
  
The cars slowly make their way cross the track, and I can quickly see the dip. Grinning wider, I whoop as we plummet down the vertical drop, leaning forward as much as I can. After a moment or two of doing that, as we start to crawl back up, I look down to the ground and see Koenma. He waves my puppy into the air as a greeting and I wave back. The girl looks at him, then turns to me. "He's very hot."  
  
I nod and grin. "Yeah. I think so too, even when I first met him. I thought he was hotter than the sun." I chuckle lewdly.  
  
"You... You mean to tell me that you've done it with him already?"  
  
"You bet!" I retort, grinning. "Whoa!!!" We plummet down really, really far, and we go through a loop. I scream giddily as we go upside-down. It feels so familiar, as if I'm my dragon form, and flying about without restraint.  
  
"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" I scream as we fly across the railroad-like tracks. "WOOOOOOOO!! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!" I open one eye to see that we're going to fall and come back up again. I glance at the tanned girl. She's screaming, too, a giddy look on her face. Still grinning, I whoop as we plummet, and start laughing again as we fly up. I recognize this part and yell as we go up another loop only to plummet and go up another one. Most of us lurch with the velocity as we make a left turn to go through an area that twists around like a strand of licorice. My stomach is unfazed at the quick, circular movements, as I am also used to running just as fast as my mentor, Hiei.  
  
The ride is slowing down. Are we done already? I look around. We're coming back to our origin point. After Amiria gets off, I follow suit and take a few steps back as a boy to my right suddenly tosses his cookies all over the cement.  
  
"Aww, man, couldn't you hold it in??" I complain, covering my sensitive nose with one hand. I flee the scene and run back to my lover, stopping a few paces in front of him.  
  
"Koenma-koi!" I chirp, grinning like mad.  
  
"You had a good time?" he asks, stepping up to me with both stuffed toys in hand. He smiles at me.  
  
I nod once and take my poochy back. "Yupper," I reply, rubbing my toy's ears. "I had a blast! It's like flying drunk - not that I've ever been drunk! Or, or like flying like I don't care how I fly! Or kinda like flying when I got Botan outta the water when the Meikai gods got outta their imprisonment." I'm still grinning.  
  
"If you haven't been drunk, then how do you know that flying drunk is like a roller-coaster?" he asks, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Heh. I don't." I pause, thinking up something else. I look to the sky. The sun is still up high, and if we wanted a romantic evening just like our first date, we have to kill some more time. I set my jaw slightly, then look back at him. "...So, do you want to play some of the other games?"  
  
He smiles. "Sure."  
  
I look around and point to a water-shooting game where the water has to blow up a balloon. "How about that one?"  
  
My lover puts on his game face. "You're on."  
  
I run toward the stand, my koibito in tow, and I pay up for the both of us. Stuffing my puppy down the front of my shirt - only leaving its paws and face poking out of the collar - I grab hold of my water gun with both hands, using one hand to aim and the other to steady. Koenma places his big tiger under one arm as he grabs the gun with his right hand.  
  
"Ready? Set... Go!"  
  
The machines flare to life and I squeeze the trigger as I aim for the small hole to blow up my balloon. It starts to fill and I reinforce my aim. Within seconds, I'm sure that I won't start missing, and I glance over to my lover, and he is fairing just as well as I am. I refocus my attention to my shooting, and within a second or two more, the gun stops, and the gun becomes stiff again.  
  
I release it and I look at my balloon. It's full. I look to Koenma's. It's full, too.  
  
"Draw game!" the man tells us. "The game ends as soon as one person fills up the balloon. Turns out, you two got it full at the same time. So... what prize'll it be? One for each of ya."  
  
I glance at the bundle of prizes. There are cats of different varieties, a few dogs just like the one in my shirt, some snakes, and some other things...  
  
I point to a different item. "I want that."  
  
The man opens the glass cabinet and pulls out the item. "I'll give it to you..." He pauses and looks at us pointedly. "...if both you and your friend there play one more game."  
  
I look to my lover as he stares at me. There's a "game" gleam in his eyes, and I understand. I turn to the "older" man. "You have yourself a deal, sir!" I hand him the money needed for the game and he takes it. We both take our marks at the guns and the game begins again. I focus completely on my task and I manage to fill up the balloon faster than the last time.  
  
The guns suddenly stiffen and point down. I let it go in mild shock and I stare at it. I stare at my balloon, then at Koenma's.  
  
Koenma's is full.  
  
Mine isn't.  
  
I stare at him, then at the man who has my prize in his big hand. My gaze is expectant, and he hands me the item once I hold out my hand. I stare at it close up and smile slightly.  
  
It's a pewter dragon with an amethyst for an eye. It's a pendant, actually, on a silver chain. A new dragon... just as I am a new person. I think the word is "bittersweet"... For having to take so much crap as a child... and growing up under the pressure of death to those near me... for living without light in my eyes... to fully maturing and earning my soul and my heart... as well as my freedom.  
  
After I wait for my lover to take his prizes - a few toy wood snakes - I walk off, staring at my new piece of jewelry after losing much of my own hand-crafted one.  
  
I suddenly feel someone grab my arm. I look over my left shoulder and see that it's Koenma. He tugs my arm gently, and I follow him once he releases me. We're at a fairly secluded area with trees. I walk over to one of them and look up at him, the pewter dragon hidden in my hand. "Dou shita no?" I ask, using my free hand to take my toy dog out of my shirt and place the white thing by my side.  
  
"Nothing is wrong... but are #you# okay?"  
  
I stare back at my closed hand. "I was just thinking..." I murmur, and I sense Koenma coming a little closer so he can hear me properly. "...thinking, about that time. When I saw nothing when I saw my own reflection, when I had no soul... Or, at least, a soul so beaten, it was constantly within an inch of its life. I can barely remember what I did to save my own hide..." I shut my eyes, but the images become clear, and I almost don't want to see them. I don't want to see my past right now! "...I was the only one with morals in a world full of heartless demons... I shunned their way of hatred and in return was hated myself." I hesitate as I remember those who hated me. My brother... countless, nameless demons... and, even for a short while, Mukuro as well. My brother, I remember, tried to taint me with his perverted hands, and countless demons wished the same due to my exotic appearance. Even Mukuro seemed interested in me, choosing to look at me at times instead of at Hiei. "But..." I smile, but do no open my eyes. "in return for my pain... in return for my patience... and in return for my love..." I open my eyes and look my lover in the eyes, my solid blue meeting gentle gold. "...I was blessed with the opportunity to love and be loved by you." My smile is authentic. I open my hand and stare at the necklace a moment. Then, I hold it up to him. "It is yours. Just like how my body, my life, my love, and my heart are yours." My eyes burn and when I blink, hot wetness falls, and I make no sound.  
  
"But..." he retorts softly, sitting in front of me. "why are you giving this to me...?"  
  
For lack of something more elaborate, I reply, "Because I want to."  
  
He pauses, staring into my eyes and deep in my soul. He seems to be thinking about something, but what that may be, I have no clue. After a moment or two, he seems to make up his mind, and he leans forward, extending his neck. I unhook the ends and wrap my arms around his neck to refasten the ends. Once that is done, I lean a little forward myself and place my lips against his in a small kiss. I close my eyes. I feel his breath whoosh against my mouth as he gasps, and as I feel the light, butterfly-like feeling in my stomach, I plunge my tongue into his mouth with a moan as the feeling intensifies. I feel starved for his contact, just like when I first responded in such a way to his touch, and I feel him reciprocate, his tongue brushing gently against mine. I set my lips more fully against his mouth and I groan as the muscle in his mouth becomes aggressive. I clutch his shoulders as I feel like I'm falling down a long drop and he's the only one who can save me; he the angel to my flawed human. I whimper softly and pant as we part for air and I dip my head against his almost-bare shoulder, and my tears taint the small expanse of flesh before rolling across in small rivulets.  
  
Oh, Inari-sama...  
  
"Why are you still sad, love?"  
  
I am silent, then I hug him tighter. "...I still cannot believe my fate... how lucky I am to have you. Part of me still believes, that even after all this time, you're just a dream, and one day, I'll wake up, and you won't be there, by my side..." I grit my teeth as more tears fall, creating tracks down the back of my lover's arm. "When I was frozen, I had dreamed for so long, and then when I woke up, it seemed that, eventually, I had found what I wanted most in the whole universe... But I'm still afraid. I'm afraid that you'll disappear like a dream to a waking being..."  
  
He holds me tighter, and we stay like that for a while. I don't know how long, but I think only an hour or two... even if it seems like an eternity, and my back is aching. I don't care about my own pain, but the pain of being shunned, though while not fresh, still leaves a strong impression on me.  
  
When I finally move, I look into my lover's eyes.  
  
He's dozing...  
  
...and I smile.  
  
My eyes trace his face. Boy, does he have long eyelashes... They're dark, to boot. His nose is more slender than mine is, and his lips form a sort of pout by itself from sucking his pacifier all day for who knows how long. He looks so damn hot and kissable - and yes, I made that word up, too, so there!  
  
Unable to resist the temptation, I brush my lips against his, fleetingly, and he wakes up with a soft yawn. He blinks slightly, then asks in a sleepy voice, "Oh, I fell asleep...?"  
  
I nod slightly. "Yeah, but it's okay." I continue my small smile and back away from him. I scoop up my toy and I look at him as he does the same with his toys. "So, what're ya gonna do with those wood snakes?"  
  
"Probably give them to Kuwabara's kids," he replies, getting up.  
  
I rise with him and stretch my temporarily unused muscles, reveling in the "crrrrraaaaackkk!" that the action caused, and I close my eyes as I do so. "Okies. Do y'wanna chill around for a while or play some games some more?"  
  
"I wish to go on the Ferris wheel."  
  
I pause in my slow stretching and open one eye. My heart pauses in my chest before continuing with my question, "Can we go on in a little while, when the sun sets?"  
  
His gold eyes fix unto mine. He's searching me again, and after a moment, he nods. "Hai. We'll wait until nightfall."  
  
I smile a little brighter and wrap one arm around both his shoulders. "Dewa, we should kill some time until then."  
  
"Un."  
  
...We played some more games to pass the time, and before we knew it, the sun had set completely, surrendering the world to darkness illuminated by artificial lights and the light of the half-moon. Only the couples seemed to remain, and we were a select few...  
  
I still wondered what those piercing looks Koenma gave me were for... but I didn't let it bother me...  
  
Striding over to the man in charge, I pay him enough for us both. He stares at us with mild disgust, but I thank him for trying to hide it. I let Koenma mount first before I settle in next to him. Once others perch on, we slowly rise up, to see the sky. "Osashiburi da..." I murmur, looking at him. He stares back. "...since the first time I brought you here, to experience what I couldn't at the time." I smile. "And here we are again. Time sure does fly when you're saving the world time and time again, huh?"  
  
He nods. "It certainly does. I dare say that you have also matured while saving the world."  
  
"You DID save me before, though. Remember?" I reply, smiling lightly.  
  
He nods once again. "Yeah, I remember. If you hadn't been in pain, I would have commented at the time just how hot you looked."  
  
"Hmm," I reply, looking away. He thinks I look hot when I'm sprawled out on the floor in nothing at all?  
  
"And you've done a lot, too, as well."  
  
I look back at him and cock my head to one side. "You think so?"  
  
"Of course I think so. You brought your brother AND your father to justice, and you left your impression on me."  
  
My eyes widen a second before I snort derisively, narrowing my gaze. "I didn't know that unwanted children like me could still do that." Then again, we ARE a rare occurrence.  
  
My lover's gaze becomes shocked. "You're still holding onto that grudge?! I thought that your father apologized to you!"  
  
"..." I look away, my sarcasm and scorn fleeing in depression's grasp. "...I'm sorry. We're supposed to be having fun, and right now I'm ruining it... And you're right, he did apologize. I don't have much of a grudge left, really. I just sometimes wish that things were different... if I had been raised with love instead of hatred and loneliness, like most others are..."  
  
&&&&&&  
  
Seeing Kurohi in such a depressed state earlier today - and now especially - makes me worry, but knowing him, he should be okay in a bit. Perhaps what I have planned for him tonight - unfortunately, it's a last-minute idea - will help?  
  
His blue eyes are glittering with the stars right now; a lot of light is reflecting off their surfaces as he looks to the heavens. I kiss him, briefly, on the cheek, and he turns his head to face me. His eyes are wide a moment with emotion, then he smiles softly before looking to the stars again.  
  
The ride seems to end before it even starts, and the next thing I know, we're going home.  
  
Once we're far from civilization, my lover opens a portal and holds my hand before we jump through. We reappear just outside my domain and I lead him inside. Once we enter my office, I stop and he looks at me curiously, his head cocking to one side.  
  
"Will you wait here for a minute, itoshii?"  
  
He nods once and I enter my room, placing the prizes I won on my dresser before setting to work. Rummaging in a compartment in my bedside table, I pull out some candles and place them about the room and even in the bathroom that connects to my chambers, lighting them as I go. I make sure that there's some lubricant and some toys I own in the table's drawer, too, before checking under my pillow for another toy. To my relief, it's still there. I go into the bathroom, and after I begin to draw up the water for a shower in the large stall, I dim the lights and exit my chambers to see Kurohi sitting in the chair he was in earlier. He has let his long tail out of his pants and it twitches nervously, betraying his stony face.  
  
He looks up at me, bewildered. He doesn't know that I plan on making the rest of this night for him alone.  
  
I smile. "Let's go take a bath."  
  
He smiles in return, clutching his toy, and once we're inside my room, I close the door and see that he has stopped moving, absorbing the view of my candlelit room. "Sugoi..."  
  
"That's not all I have, koi," I retort gently, slowly pulling off the tight leather. I hear Kurohi walk across the floor to put his toy on the dresser and come back toward me. Whatever skin I reveal, he begins to kiss, starting at my lower back. His lips feather upward, drawing small moans from me. He grips my sides with gentle, callused fingertips, and starts purring deep in his chest once I fully remove the tight top.  
  
I look over my shoulder and down at his shorter form as his mouth moves up my shoulder. "You're wearing more than I am," I manage before his lips touch the juncture between my neck and shoulder.  
  
He steps on one of his heels and pulls off one shoe before doing the same to the other. He tries to mimic the movements on his white socks, but when nothing happens, he kneels down with a groan of frustration to pull them off, his long tail twitching with his emotions. While he is sidetracked, I slide off my leather boots and cotton socks before undoing the belt on my tight pants.  
  
Kurohi looks up and starts purring again, his eyelids half-covering twin pools of water. His hands fly to the upper hem of my pants and he slides them down my hips, and once I get one leg free, I manage to kick them off somewhere in the nearest corner. He hugs my belly and rests the side of his face flush with my stomach. His spiky, soft hair tickles me and I run one of my hands through the silver and brown strands. His back and head arch into my touch and his purr intensifies, his throat leaning against my mostly-erected sex. I groan as the vibrations hit dead on, but I won't have that right now. I pull him away and help him to his feet. I lead him into the bathroom where he strips the rest of the way, revealing a slender build with lean muscles accented by the tattoo that leads from one shoulder to the other. He hops in - well, not literally in the sense that he gets in - and as the water hits his head, the spikes come undone to reveal shoulder- length brown hair. Before the water can invade those deep eyes of his, he shuts them.  
  
I step into the tub just behind him and make up a lather on a washcloth to my right.  
  
"Hmph," chuckles my lover, pulling me toward him. "Gonna get us clean so we can get dirty again?"  
  
"Mm-hmm," I reply, setting the soap aside. "Now, cooperate this time."  
  
He stretches out his cheeks with his fingers and sticks out his tongue. "I cooperated last time! So there!"  
  
"Yeah, when the threat of no sex for a month was in the air!" I start chuckling at him.  
  
He changes his appearance and pouts. "Meh. That wasn't funny." His right hand touches my hip while his other hand cups my chin, and he kisses me lightly. "But I know I would have been strong enough to go without it. It might be a bit difficult, though, since I figured out just what I was missing." His lips feather across my wet skin and he presses his arousal against my ass. "What's cool for you, though, is that only you can make me like this... Make me want you so badly I can't live without you. Just a glimpse of your face or a blind touch of your hand..." He presses his face up against the back of my neck; the contact makes me shiver. "...and I'd be set for the whole day. Heh heh."  
  
I feel his hand begin to fondle me and I moan softly, but remember my plans a moment later. "Mmm... You need cleaning up, baby. You stink," I murmur, trying not to chuckle.  
  
"Nani? I thought..."  
  
"...that I like you dirty? Well, I have to admit that your scent is much more prominent like that, but right now, I want you clean. So, will you let me?"  
  
He hesitates, then shrugs slightly before he can catch himself. He's been trying not to use the "whatever" action in terms of "yes". "Um... sure..." He seems uncertain, but it's all because of how we're feeling between our legs. "Yeah... go ahead." He releases me and now it's my turn.  
  
I run the cloth at his shoulders first, his right shoulder, at the juncture. He makes a small noise as the cloth rubs against him - I think it's because it's me cleaning him - and after a moment, I run the cloth along the length of his arm. The muscles underneath twitch slightly at the contact, and I realize that it looks like he's trying not to pounce me... either that, or he's holding back, like he was taught before I met him.  
  
I pass the cloth to his other arm, and I receive the same reaction as before. Only, this time, he moans softly, his eyes still shut under the spray of the shower-head. The cloth comes to his hand, slipping between his fingers and he shivers as if I licked him there. He's very responsive nowadays, and I can almost touch him anywhere to receive a response.  
  
I bring the cloth down to the right side of his chest and I see him suck in a shuddering breath. The cloth wisps against the soft skin and across one dusky nipple, which has been erect for some time now. At this action, he moans softly and lets his head roll to his left shoulder. "Mmmnnn..." Once the water eradicates the soap from the area, I fasten my lips against the peak, suckling gently, and I am rewarded with a soft yelp.  
  
His hands thread loosely through my hair and I hear the familiar vibrations as well as feel them against my lips. It sort of tickles. I gently nip at the peak - hearing yet another cry from his throat - before releasing the nub and continue my cleansing, repeating the process to the other dusky peak once it's rinsed off.  
  
"Aaaahnnn..." His moan is cut off by a small whimper, and I recognize it. I'm driving him nuts right now. It must be painful.  
  
I slowly drag the cloth down and once it reaches his hard abdomen, his stomach spasms and his breathing rasps softly as he tries to not giggle. "Ah, that tickles, does it?"  
  
Kurohi simply giggles in reply, unable to say anything coherent. In response to this, I stab my tongue into his bellybutton, and he shrieks with bottled-up laughter. "Ha ha ha shaa! No, no! Stop! Haha... hee hee hee...!! Yamete, ne?!! Hahaha!"  
  
After a moment, I stop tickling him and I speed ahead to his creamy thighs and working my way down.  
  
"Aww, man! You missed a spot! Well, actually, an area!" He shuts up for a second as I quickly reach his feet and I pause. He suddenly asks, playfully wary, "What are you doing??"  
  
"Balance on something."  
  
I give him a moment to hold onto one of the bars I had conveniently had installed a few months ago just for occasions like this. I lift his foot up and I sense him regain his balance quickly. He shivers as I touch him and apply a bit of pressure in the innermost arch.  
  
"Nnnnmm!" he responds, shivering slightly. I apply more pressure and rub across the plane of the bottom of his foot. He moans loudly, his body shaking, and he starts breathing a little faster. I set the first foot aside and work on the other one, rubbing from the pads of his toes to his heel. "Nnnnnn... C'mon, I need you, Ko-chan... Onegai?"  
  
I look up at him and I see a bright blue gaze pleading at me. Smiling up at him, I run the cloth across his rear and he spreads his legs a bit while gripping the bar...  
  
(Deleted citrus!)  
  
After his orgasm, I slowly gulp down the remains in my mouth and I him slide out of my mouth. I look up at him and he stares down at me wearily in return. There's a sated expression on his face, and he's smiling. It's almost as if he's glowing, despite the fact that his legs are shaking with the strain of remaining upright. Wrapping my arms around his waist, I let him slide down and sit in front of me, whereas he wraps his arms around my neck. His lips press insistently upon my own and his tongue plunges into my mouth without my consent, but I do not mind. I moan and suck gently onto the warm, soft muscle and he makes a pleased sound. His tail wraps gently around my stomach and simply stays there. I guess he's more like a female than I thought. He's constantly starving for contact - and when he gets it, boy is he ever vocal! - but I guess that's because of his past. Oh, but don't tell Kurohi I thought that he seemed girlie, okay?  
  
I feel his heart beating quickly against my own chest when he presses closer against me. His breathing, though quiet now, is still rapid, and his body continues to quake.  
  
After a moment, he chuckles. "I really need to learn how to hold back, don't I? Y'know, so I can last longer when we do this?"  
  
I run a hand along the contours of his spine and he shudders slightly. "I don't mind that you're this responsive," I reply. "I really like that, actually."  
  
He chuckles softly. "Hontou ni?"  
  
I nod once. "Aa." His long tail flexes against my stomach, and what remains to be done is brought to my attention. "Oh, that's right... I need to clean up, and you need to finish up." I retrieve the shampoo bottle and I catch him with a slightly anticipating expression on his face.  
  
Unwrapping his tail from my stomach, he sits down on his bottom with his back to me. Taking some of the shampoo into my hands, my fingers start applying the spice-scented concoction near his temples. He starts shivering as he feels my hands pull his hair a little and run through the tresses, quickly creating a lather. Once I'm done with that, he stands up and lets the water run through his hair, and he runs his hands through the soft tresses to help get all the soap out. Once he's done with that, he snags a small amount of rain-scented conditioner and applies it to the ends of his hair, by his shoulders and then, leaving it in, he turns around with a bar of soap and my washcloth in his hands. "Your turn."  
  
I shake my head. "It's okay. I can do it myself." I put out my hand to take both objects.  
  
He snorts but puts the bar of soap into my baby-blue washcloth and hands it over anyway. "So can I, but what're partners if they can't do things for the other? I mean, we're all capable of handling ourselves, but, jeez." He rinses out the conditioner just as I start soaping up, and then he snags the soap from where I put it and soaps up his tail, getting the five-foot- long appendage cleaned up. "Heh. Almost forgot. This thing can be a hassle..."  
  
Running the hair products one and then two in my hair, I rinse them out separately and step out. Water immediately drips down my frame, and I reach for a towel only to have my lover - after shutting off the water - follow me and run his tongue across my shoulder, lapping up the warm water. I shiver at the sensations and still grasp for a fluffy blue towel. I wrap it around me and I feel a tap on my shoulder. "Um, Koenma, there aren't any other towels here? Did you forget to restock?"  
  
I actually had. But, the way I wanted him right now, he didn't have to dry off. "I did, but the way I want you right now doesn't differentiate between wet and dry."  
  
He shivers in anticipation, it seems, and he nuzzles his nose against my neck, licking up the water droplets there. I shudder in return and lead him to the bedroom, whereas I promptly set him atop the pillows and blankets. Since it's summer, I don't care if the blankets get wet.  
  
"This is all about you," I say. "I want to please you tonight, but I want to try something again." I reach under one of the pillows and pull out a set of handcuffs. His blue eyes widen in realization before they slide down to half-mast and he moans.  
  
"Go for it..." he murmurs, arching his body up against mine.  
  
"I've got some other things, too. If you wind up hating them, what'll be the safe word?"  
  
He pauses in slightly confusion, but voices his thoughts. "Mmm... I think the safe word should be... umm..." I see the gears clicking and turning in his head. "Tomato!"  
  
I blink and frown. "...Tomato?" I ask dubiously.  
  
"Tomato! They're all red and watery..."  
  
"I know what a tomato is!" I retort to his weird rambling. "...Are you sure that you want /tomato/ to be your safe word? You don't want anything else as it?"  
  
"Hmm... now that I think on it, how 'bout /shiro/?"  
  
My stomach drops and I nod. "That's a better safe word. It'll get me stopping a lot faster than if you were to talk about some fruit."  
  
"It's a veggie!" He grins, then places his hands up above his head. I begin to kiss him before clasping one arm in one into one of the rings before threading the set through a bar in the headboard and cuffing the other. Something of many things that I have learned about Kurohi, is that he tends to love being dominated just as much as dominating. He likes to be held /captive/ when submissive, so far, and in contrast, he likes letting my body free when he pleases me.  
  
I have yet to try any vibrators, but tonight will be that trial. That's why I insisted on a safe word, just in case he didn't find the use of small machines as pleasurable as others find them.  
  
When our kiss ends, he moans as my hands skim lightly across his torso, inciting a shiver to ripple through his body. "Mmm..." He grinds against me and I pin his hips down with a playful growl.  
  
"No."  
  
"Please... I need you..." he whimpers.  
  
"Really? How do you need me?" I reply seductively, licking the lobe of his ear. He gasps, and I take this moment to shed out of my baby-blue towel, tossing it behind me to the corner of the bed.  
  
"In... inside me... please!!"  
  
"Are you going to come quickly when I fuck you?"  
  
"Proba'ly... yes... mmmm...!" he moans as I suckle over the pulse on his neck.  
  
"Would you like to hold out long?"  
  
"Yesss..."  
  
"/Yes/ what?"  
  
"I wanna hold out... mmm..."  
  
I leave him alone to go for the beside drawer and he groans with his sexual tension. "Koenmaaa!" he moans. "Finish what yeh started!!" I pull out a silver cock ring with a small vibrator attached to it and slip it on. He yelps and quickly looks down at what I'm doing to the best of his ability.  
  
I look up. "/Shiro/?"  
  
He shakes his head. "No, no... It's just weird-feeling... What does it..."  
  
I turn it on with a twitch of my fingers.  
  
"GhhhaaaaaAAAAA?!!" His back arches with the stimulant and his tail thrashes quite wildly. His eyes squeeze shut and his hands jerk against the restraints. He grits his teeth and lets a low growl escape his throat. I feather my lips down to his chest and encase a dusky nipple with my hot mouth, using my forearms to hold me up. My tongue swirls against the flesh once or twice before I begin to suckle the peak.  
  
Kurohi groans and bucks his hips against my own, making a delicious friction, and I have to pause so that I don't bite him. "Oh, Inari..." he mewls, thrusting his hips upward again. I quickly use my weight and pin him down.  
  
"You'll get your much-deserved release soon enough. Besides, with that cock ring, you can't until I take it off."  
  
He whimpers and takes in a shuddering breath. Sweat runs down the side of his face and he buries his face into one of his arms. "Koenmaaa..." His tail moves from its pinned position between his legs and it wraps around my waist, flexing with every jolt of pleasure he gets, which is a steady stream right now. He groans unintelligibly as I taste his flesh with my questing lips and tongue. He shudders as I reach the inside of his left arm, and his fingers flex as I lap at the not-so-tough skin and he arches into me, moaning softly.  
  
Reaching over, I pull out one more cock ring and use it on myself, turning the small machine on low. I growl as the vibrations run up my length only to pool in that one spot near my gut and increase steadily in intensity. I lean up and mesh our lips together, my tongue invading his warm cavity and brushing against the muscle within ravenously. I want you so bad...I think to him, grinding our erections together. I gasp as he cries out as if he were crying.  
  
%I need you twice as much. I need you in me so bad I'll die if I don't get you!!!%  
  
My mind is soon filled with images of me taking him and I shudder at their intensity. %Do you dream of that?% I ask.  
  
Kurohi moans and his arms twitch against the bindings before nodding his head a little. %Yes. Quite often... mmm... You feel so good against me. I want you inside me... fucking my brains out... and I won't be satisfied until I can't even think right!!% he retorts, soon giving a strangled cry as I turn up his vibrator. I turn up mine as well and I feel like I'm gonna explode.  
  
[Well, now is... a good enough... time as any...]  
  
I soon tire of exploration for the time being - due to my state of arousal - and quickly fetch the lube so I can fuck him...  
  
(deleted LEMON!)  
  
I shake with the force and all of a sudden, the link slowly closes down, and I collapse against Kurohi's chest, lazily finding the key to the handcuffs under one of the many pillows and unlocking the metal circles. I take the wrists in my hands and gently massage them to ensure no lost circulation, and as I do so, my lips mold against my lover's soft ones. I shiver in pleasure at the contact and murmur airily, "That was amazing... what do you think?"  
  
"Mmmm... oishii..." he replies, licking my bottom lip before gently nipping it. I gasp slightly and chuckle before feeling a wave of fatigue roll over me.  
  
"Are you ready to turn in, koi?"  
  
"Hmm..."  
  
I don't know what he means. Is he thinking or just reacting... or is he plotting something?  
  
"I'm pooped," he finally says, yawning widely. "Me wanna sleep."  
  
I chuckle. "But you're dirty."  
  
"So're you," he replied tiredly. "But I dun care. I love ya either way." He yawns widely, showing fangs, and for my sake, it seems, he's keeping his eyes open in case I might say something.  
  
I smile. "Thank you. I love you, too... Now, let me get that towel..." I slide away to the edge of the bed, retrieve the towel, and I crawl back over to my lover. I run the slightly damp cotton over his feverish body before I attend to my own. Once I'm done, I toss the towel to the floor and remove the toys from the bed only to put them back in the drawer. Once that's done, I collapse beside my lover and curl up beside him, loosely hugging his slightly smaller frame to myself.  
  
"Ai shiteru..." he murmurs, snuggling into my chest.  
  
I smile wanly. "Wakatta."  
  
His ankles loosely interlock with my own and his tail wraps around my waist possessively. "S'what if I'm possessive, koi?" he murmurs.  
  
I guess I let my mind stay open to him oh well. He IS my lover, after all. "Possessive is a good thing. I wouldn't share you like this with anyone."  
  
"Tha's good... hnnmmm..."  
  
Seconds later, he's sleeping quietly, and without further ado, I follow him into the land of dreams.  
  
--------------------------------  
  
Waaaiii! That took forever! Feedback welcomed!  
  
And this is the (highly belated) first anniversary gift to all you loyal readers! Thank you so, so much for your support! (I mean it! If it weren't for your wonderful reviews, I would never have gotten so far, and written this!)  
  
I hope to get the actual next chapter in as soon as I can freely watch TV without my time for my favorite shows being docked off. (I only get 2 hours of TV a week... or if I can do it on a free day... Phoey!)  
  
Totemo oishiidasu. = It's very good/delicious.  
  
Kon'chi wa! = Hi! (I heard Dee Laytner say this in my FAKE movie!)  
  
Osashiburi / Hisashiburi da = It's been a while/It's been a long time (Again, Dee said this, but Carol said "hisashiburi" to mean something along the lines of "long time no see" or something.)  
  
Author's note: Is it just me, or is Kurohi acting like a cross between Dee Laytner and JJ Adams from FAKE, and Raenef from Demon Diary?  
  
Started: 3/31/04 7:08PM  
  
Finished: 7/1/04 1:55AM  
  
10 Years of Waiting began around my 16th birthday in March of 2003, somewhere around and between the days of 3-14 or so. 


	39. Day 24 Guide to the Worlds Part 2

10 Years of Waiting  
  
by Kurohi Tatsaki  
  
Day 24 - Guide to the Worlds Part 2  
  
Disclaimer - I don't own YYH; am not making money off this; am not Yoshihiro Togashi. Kurohi, Yamiryuinu, Shirokoori, & all the other original characters I & Kohaku Frost come up with are property of Beware of Mage & Tsuki Ryu Productions. Use our characters without permission & we will be pissed.  
  
Transcribing takes a while, and with my TV limited, so is my time to transcribe (I only get to watch 2 hours of TV a week.) I am so, so sorry for the delay! ...but now that I have a new computer (the other one crashed!) I can transcribe whenever I'm on the compy! It can play DVDs!! Yaaaaay!!! Also, now that I'm coming to the next chapter with Majari, I'm not quite sure what to do. I have an idea, though, and most of the chapter transcribed from the movie, but now it's time to add the rest of it and the final touches.  
  
/quotes in speech/  
  
Animegoddess800 - Me glad you likee a lot. By the way, multiple reviews are not an inconvenience to me.  
  
Shadowfox5579 - Here is the update! Again, I apologize for the delay.  
  
ShadowAili - Again, sorry for the delay. Well, one of my secrets from this fic is that even I do not know how it will end. Same goes with all my other fics. They are all spontaneous! Also, I get easy A's and B's in English, because I like to read and write. Plus, I have great teachers! May the cheese be with you, too! (Although, I don't really get it...)  
  
Demon Child 666 - Oh, wow, you downloaded it? That's flattering.   
  
Enchanted Faerie - Here is more!  
  
Katyfoxdemon2 - Gah! My ego's inflating! swirly eyes Must... contain... ego!

By the way, isn't being nice. I can't add those squiggly lines to indicate change of point of view. Dammit!  
  
--------------------------------  
  
The sun shines brightly with a few clouds trying to cover it, casting shadows on the temple below. Within the temple, everyone decides to address the current problems in addition to Kurohi's sudden departure the night before. Kuwabara is leaning against a table-like object while Kurama remains standing with Hiei right next to him. Yusuke, Genkai and Hinageshi remain seated Indian-style on the hard floor.  
  
"Am I the only one that thinks it's odd that someone would merely up and leave just to find a long-lost father?" asks Yusuke, fixing his gaze on everyone.  
  
"I know that if I EVER found my no-good dad, I'd pound 'im for abandoning my sis', my mom and I," replies Kuwabara, rocking back and forth on his heels while using his hands to steady himself against the tall furniture.  
  
"He mentioned that his name was /Majari/," murmured Kurama. "That he was alive, just as Koenma had said. My guess is that Majari is one of the Meikai gods."  
  
Kuwabara's eyes widened at the half fox. "Wh-What?! So our dragon-cat-boy's also a god?!"  
  
"Half god, I would think, if his mother was merely a demon."  
  
Kuwabara hesitates in thought for a moment and then seems to drop the subject. The tall man/oaf then looks down to the redheaded girl. "What should we do, Hinageshi?"  
  
"We have to transmit power to the spirit world." She sits up straighter to look Kuwabara in the eye, then retrieves a scroll from a practically nonexistent pile.  
  
"Doiyatte?" He taps his thumb against the table-like object, confusion on his face.  
  
Hinageshi places a scroll in front of her on the floor. "Look. There are places in the human world called elemental sites which naturally collect spiritual energy."  
  
Yusuke looks confused. "Elemental sites?" He leans in closer.  
  
"You mean storage tanks for spiritual power?" He looks at the scroll, too, only having to bend over slightly to see it.  
  
Hinageshi looks up at Kuwabara. "Yes, something like that." She points to a seemingly "west" point on the scroll. "There are five of these elemental sites representing the Earth, Wind, Fire Water, and the Spirit. If they are unsealed, that amassed spiritual power will be sent to the spirit world."  
  
Kuwabara leans in close. "And with that power, it would be restored!"  
  
"Un."  
  
"So, where are they?"  
  
"I know where!"  
  
"Yo shaa! Leave it to me!"  
  
"Mmm..." Blue-violet eyes slowly open from their unconscious state and they slowly look around. "Otousan..." He clamps his eyes shut to remove the confused look in his eyes before slowly opening them. He remembers that he had crashed against a tree for the night and he felt a touch on his knee. His eyes flicked down at the small hand and then looked up at the hand's owner. It was a boy.  
  
"Daijoubu desu ka?" the kid asked.  
  
Kurohi blinked once and nodded. "Aa... Genki..." His long blue hair, draped across his shoulders, caught the boy's attention.  
  
"Did you dye that?"  
  
He nodded once to further emphasize the lie. "Aa." He shifted slightly against the tree, realizing that his armor had disappeared to be replaced with more Ningenkai attire.  
  
"Is that all you're gonna say?"  
  
Kurohi shook his head. "Iie." He then smiled for the child. "I have a wide vocabulary and am capable of saying more than /yes/, /no/, and /I'm fine/. Now, what were you really gonna ask me?"  
  
"Um..." He picked up a round ball that lay at his feet. "...will you play with me?" He yipped cheerfully as his new friend nodded and stood up. Boy, was he tall! He wore a Chinese-style tunic that nicely brought out his shimmering blue hair and his bright blue-violet eyes. The eyes' structure seemed mean, but the irises spoke friendly volumes.  
  
"Namae wa desu ka?" asked the friendly-looking-eyes boy.  
  
"Um... my name's--"  
  
"Mamosu! Get away from him!" The blue-violet-eyed boy looked up and unconsciously took a step back from the child. He cocked his head at the approaching teen. The teen then stood in front of the child. "I won't let you hurt my cousin!"  
  
"But, Masaruuuu!" complained the child. "I only wanted him to play with me, and he agreed! Didn't you?"  
  
The half-god nodded once and took a cleansing breath before speaking. "I have. However... - Masaru, was it? - if you choose to not allow me to play with your cousin, I shall not play with him." [I have other matters to attend to as well. But, currently, I haven't any leads, so...]  
  
The short-haired teen frowned slightly, and then stepped aside. "I'll watch, then. Eh, namae wa desu ka?"  
  
The blue-violet-eyed teen smiled. "Boku wa Kurohi." With that, he turned to Mamosu. "Maa, which game did you want to play with that ball of yours?" he asked childishly.  
  
"Catch!" He tossed the ball up and the teen caught it with both hands, as it was a pretty big ball. He stared at the blue thing for a moment, then smiled broadly and gently tossed the ball back, as though he'd played catch for years. In truth, this was his first time playing.  
  
He'd never admit it to humans he barely knew, of course.  
  
Mamosu easily caught it and giggled, then threw it back.  
  
Kurohi caught it, then tossed it back. As the ball volleyed, his thoughts wandered. [Childlike innocence... I've never truly had it. Anything I had of that was a wall... a fake wall at that... NO! I'm going to enjoy this game. It's rather soothing with its simplicity.] The ball continued to be passed until the sun reached its hottest point in the sky. He caught the ball one last time and said, "As much as I'd like to keep playing, I have to go take care of some things." He walked over to Mamosu and returned the ball. Then, before the child's eyes, he disappeared from sight in half a blink.  
  
Mamosu shook a lock of brown hair out of his eyes and exclaimed, "SUGEEE!!"  
  
"What's so cool? Where'd that kid go?" asked Masaru, blinking his big dark eyes at his younger cousin.  
  
"He vanish-de-ded outta the air! Neat!"  
  
"You must be kidding. I bet he's hiding," Masaru replied.  
  
"He was vanish-de-ded while I was blinking!" his cousin retorted earnestly.  
  
"Yeah right... and the word's /vanished/."  
  
"That's what I /SAID/!!"  
  
The sun had faded to dusk, the sun barely illuminating the sky.  
  
The traveling blur came to a stop atop a building, and then sat down, looking upon the streets below. "I feel a strong youki at the borders of my Spirit Awareness. I think it would be wise for me to wait here..."  
  
Night has fallen once more. Some of the more friendly creatures of the night still dare to wander about. Within the subway, the light dances through the hallway. However, the shadows linger about like an omen. One man walks slowly into the light, the bright spectrum playfully casting black shadows across his face. His hair sticks up, whiter than an old man's gray. His violet eyes are feral and slanted, and his bushy eyebrows are drawn in a frown. His expression shows nothing, however. Then, his lips match his eyes in a wild smirk. He raises his hand - glowing with Youki - and calls, "Come, my servants!" The force of his call wipes out most of the subway in a pink-colored ball of energy that seems to almost have no body. Then, it spreads to the inhabitants outside of the subway, busting up windows and simply harming civilians. Smoke and fire balloon up and into the sky, showing the place of destruction..  
  
Amidst the darkness, three spirit-like red objects descend hastily from the sky, soaring through the air before appearing from behind the white-haired man, and in the glows' place, three shadows appear. They approach the powerful demon.  
  
From his hiding place, Kurohi peeks cautiously around the corner, all of his Youki cloaked from their senses even as armor replaces the more human articles of clothing.  
  
"Are you here?" asks a white-haired demon wearing a dark cloak, that billowed in the breeze. The hairs at the back of Kurohi's neck stand up even though his hair is long and falls past his buttocks.  
  
"Aa. Your three demon gods have arrived, Yakumo-sama," replies a youkai god with gray, flat, bony armor on his torso, shoulders, forearms, and legs. His voice seems gritty.  
  
[I should interfere. I should -- waah?!!] His bluish-purple eyes widen at the sight of a demon god that could be easily mistaken for a girl with long blue hair. He wears soft blue tunic edges underneath the armor from his waist down, and a dark shirt underneath the torso gear. The bone of his headgear holds back his hair, and it has a red gem in the center, his hair is also tied back at the ends, and his blue bangs hang above the headgear, falling into his dark eyes. He has a bluish complexion.  
  
All these factors tell Kurohi like red on black, "that HAS to be the father".  
  
His heart thuds loudly in his chest at the realization and he quickly looks at the other demon. It has spiky blonde hair, a toad-like face, and the bone horns on his head stick out to the sides like spikes. The body armor drapes from his left shoulder to under his right arm. His figure is hunched over, yet there is pride within him, just like the other three.  
  
Wind blows their master's cape and hair as they are illuminated by shadows and a slight red light, unaware of the child-presence behind them, hiding in the shadows like he owns them.  
  
The demon lord chuckles. "Our strategy has entered the second stage. Make the power of the elemental sites ours. Yukei!"  
  
The lower demon gods retort in unison, "Aa!" They transform back into spirit-like beams of red light, and fly into the sky before merging and splitting up into three different directions.  
  
Once Yakumo leaves, Kurohi slinks from his place in the shadows, his hand against his plated chest. His hair and tunic billow in the wind, and his eyes narrow slightly. "Otousan..." He closes his eyes, honing in on Majari's signature, and departs across the rooftops with haste, appearing like a shadow's illusion within what little light remains.  
  
End Day 24  
  
--------------------------------  
  
Do you recognize the teen Masaru? He's the kid with the ball that Yusuke saved and then died for on the first volume/episode!  
  
Started: 3/26/04 10:36AM Finished: 7/13/04 11:50PM  
  
Doiyatte = How  
  
Yo shaa! = All right!  
  
Namae wa desu ka = What is your name?  
  
Yukei! = Go!


	40. Day 25a First Battle

10 Years of Waiting

by Kurohi Tatsaki

Day 25a - First Battle

Disclaimer - I don't own YYH; am not making money off this; am not Yoshihiro Togashi. Kurohi, Yamiryuinu, Shirokoori, all the other original characters I Kohaku Frost come up with are property of Beware of Mage Tsuki Ryu Productions. Use our characters without permission we will be pissed.

Oh, and for some reason, I can't use a question mark and then an exclamation point, or two question marks and an exclaimation point, or one question mark and two exclamation points. I hope you readers can infer the marks where they go...

* * *

Within a market-like alleyway, a woman buys vegetables from the stand. Several boys riding bikes pass by at the first intersection, and Hinageshi runs into the alleyway, holding a book to her breast. She slows as she reaches the intersection, and Kurama, Kuwabara, and Yusuke begin to catch up.

" Okay, turn at this corner, so North is behind you..." murmurs the female redhead, concentrating on not getting them all lost.

While the other redhead and Yusuke seem pensive, Kuwabara gives an irritated and clue-less expression toward the ferrywoman. "Where the hell is it?"

Hinageshi turns her head sharply and gives an irritated expression. "Chotto matte yo!"

An earthquake suddenly erupts, making all in its path tremble with the powerful waves. Shingles fly off roofs, scattering at the ground like crazy, and as Hinageshi clutches her book as if for dear life, the other three struggle to stay righted on their feet.

The tremors suddenly stop, and Kuwabara seems confused, and his voice proves it. "I-Is this an earthquake?"

The rumbling suddenly continues - though at a lesser caliber than before - and Kuwabara looks in that direction. "What's that?"

Yusuke and Kurama look up to where Kuwabara is looking, and Hinageshi seems just as agitated. "Are wa..." she utters.

They see a pink pillar of light jutting up from beyond the house and trees in front of them. The trees rustle with the power corruption, and the young ferrywoman's expression changes to almost distressed. "It's the elemental site representing Earth!"

"Nani!" retorts the adult street-punk.

In response to the one-year-younger one's innate reply, he encourages, "Yusuke, isogu!"

Yusuke nods slightly and they run into an area where they can see the site better. Leaves are being blown up into the air by the strange power. Hinageshi stands by Kuwabara while Kurama and Yusuke take up the front rows.

Kuwabara's face contorts into one of horror. "W-What's going on!"

The power stream seems to be creating a portal or opening in the middle of the mostly blue and cloudy sky. The winds suddenly pick up, pulling dust along the ground, and even rooted poles into the cement are no match for the energy as a goal-like object is suddenly pulled up and into the stream like what an F-5 tornado does to a home, but, fortunately, it doesn't pull in much else.

Yusuke shields his face some with his arm and his fist. "Itai kore wa...!"

Kurama seems shocked at such fearsome power. _Energy of this magnitude... I can barely imagine what it could accomplish! Something grand in the enemies' eyes, but to us...?_

"This is no good!"

Everyone looks at the ferrywoman. Kuwabara looks confused at the redhead's horrified expression. "What do you mean?" _I know that it's powerful, but isn't it going to help us get access to the Reikai?_

Hinageshi points at the pillar. Kuwabara follows where she means. "Look at that color." Kurama and Yusuke look up, too. "The elemental site has been destroyed. What is streaming out is not spiritual power... but the power of the Meikai!"

Yusuke, again, replies, "Nan da te!"

The others are shocked and Hinageshi seems a bit scared. The power continues to make winds all on its own, and Hinageshi clutches her book tighter. "Those demons are able to convert Reiki to Meikai power."

Kuwabara looks confused some more and then leans down a bit to the green-eyed one's level. "So, that Meikai power-"

Hinageshi gasps and stares down at her book with urgency. "If they steal the power from each of the elemental sites, then..."

Kuwabara prods, "Then...?"

Hinageshi snaps and retorts vehemently, "The Reikai will remain inaccessible!"

"Eeaaaaaaaa!"

Yusuke and Kurama look grave. Yusuke adds, "And there will be nothing we can do!"

Hinageshi nods and replies shakily, "U-un."

Trying to remove the girl's fears, he replies, "Iku zo! They may be ahead of us. We must protect the other sites!"

Happy that his wife will still be able to return home if he tries hard and succeeds with his missions, Kuwabara cries out, "Yossha!"

Coming up with a plan in a split second, the chocolate-eyed leader barks, "Let's split up!"

Kurama murmurs his assent.

By sunset, on a boat pulling a trailer, two people in cloaks coast across the lake's yellow-tinted surface.

Footsteps echo across the land. "I can't even repay Botan the kindness I owe her," laments the green-eyed ferrywoman.

The only one with her, Yusuke asks as he runs behind her, "Kindness?"

"I always made mistakes and caused a lot of problems for Botan. And now I can't-"

Having none of it, he replies and gets the girl's attention, "You're wrong. It's too early to give up!"

In a crossway, with three different directions, Hinageshi stops and consults her book while Yusuke comes to an abrupt halt in her personal space to her right. Against the gray wall, crates become a perch for a brown cat whose tail swishes lazily.

" Umm..." She suddenly points to the place behind her - a flight of stairs. Yusuke seems quizzical. "Oh, it's this way!" Yusuke then follows her finger with his big brown eyes. "Up these stairs!"

"Yoshi." He starts up again, running up the stairs with Hinageshi following closely behind him. "Isoge!"

At the top, Yusuke stops running and stops all of a sudden. Hinageshi looks up at him, confused. "Dou shita no?" She then sees what he's seeing, and gasps. "Everything is completely different!"

Buildings sit near telephone wires, and the main path has homes surrounding the sides. The duo cautiously walks forward, alert to any danger. Suddenly, another earthquake erupts along the ground, and Hinageshi quickly clings to Yusuke for support. Yusuke quickly wraps his arms about her upper back to help keep her steady as well as himself. A tall building suddenly crumbles to the ground, sending debris and dust near it. Clumps of debris fall from the destroyed building, and it caves in on itself. The shockwaves continue, and the duo slowly approaches the destroyed area.

Hinageshi comments while holding onto Yusuke's left biceps with one hand, "It crumbled just like that!"

Yusuke looks up as he senses Youki, and he gasps slightly as a demon erupts from the rubble, followed by two more. One perches on a tall piece of the building. One lizard-like demon signals the other two with a wave of its hand, and the monsters follow their leader. "Kh. Meikaichi."

Hinageshi clutches her book again. "They got here ahead of us again!"

Yusuke holds up his right fist near his shoulder in a slight gesture of perseverance. "We may still make it!" He starts running. Hinageshi quickly follows after a moment's hesitation.

"Matte yo!"

Even closer to the site, the rubble around them, they pause only momentarily before moving on into a dark parking area. There aren't any people in here, and silence rules this area for now. Yusuke and Hinageshi peek around a corner, and Yusuke makes a small noise before backing off slightly. The elemental site is illuminated by two cars' headlights. The site itself looks like a small alter or pond lantern.

The three demons from before approach the site without hesitation. One has a horn on its forehead and a shock of red hair. A burly one has light brown hair, green skin, and elfin ears, and a third has dark brown hair and a tan complexion with two horns sticking out backward from the sides of its head like ears. The first has minimal armor on its wrists and shoulders, and wears a short-sleeved cream tunic tied with a brown belt. The second wears cream pants tied with rope, a gray short-sleeved shirt, and no armor at all. The third wears a mint green short-sleeved shirt and a pair of jeans with a matching belt. The three of them have crosses on their foreheads.

"Look! That's the elemental site of Fire!" the ferrywoman whispers as she points to the area in statement.

"Nani!" He moves from his hiding place and runs at them. "Yamero!" He hops up and descends at them with great speed, his arms a bit over his head and his legs tucked up sort of close to his body. "Don't touch that!"

He lands between the three of them and the brown one leaps at him without delay. Yusuke quickly deck him in the face with his right fist and the green one takes its turn. Yusuke slides out of the way only to give the demon a head-butt to its chest with a slight growl. The one with the single horn hops up with a sword in its claws and descends with it raised over its head with a shrill cry. Yusuke looks up in shock and a slight gasp before crouching down slightly only to jump as the demon misses trying to cleave him in two, and delivers a hammer-blow with his clasped fists to the small of the demon's back - between the lower back and the butt. The demon falls to the ground and drops his sword with a cry only to suddenly become engulfed in flames. Yusuke lands on the ground, a satisfied smirk on his face. He sighs and blinks tiredly before turning to the Fire site. He approaches it.

" It's over, Hinageshi! What do we do now?" he asks, turning toward the girl's direction.

The cars' lights suddenly go out with a click, and the aged street punk is immediately on the defensive.

"Keh. What, more?"

An explosion rips through one of the left-side intersections, and Hinageshi screams. Another explosion rips near Yusuke's right, fairly close to him, but it doesn't hurt him. As soon as the dust begins, Yusuke dashes to the ferrywoman's rescue. "Hinageshi!"

Three to four rows down, an explosion occurs right next to him, sending him flying in the opposite direction and to the ground, and almost into a chain-link fence. Yusuke quickly gets up and continues running.

"Kuso!"

Hinageshi is suddenly lifted up into the air by an invisible force, and a small flicker of pink straightens out her body a bit. "My body is... No! Stop! What is this!"

The light swirls around her, making her immobile. Someone's boots are seen, and Hinageshi looks frightened. "Y-Yamete!"

The light fully controls her movements, and a white-haired man wearing a dark cloak stops before her. He raises his hand at her, making the knuckles crack all at once, and seems to be searching for something, making the girl whimper with pain. He lowers his hand.

"Chigau. This girl is not the one."

"Matte!"

Yusuke stops a few yards behind the Lord and Yakumo slowly turns his head to look at the boy through the corner of his eye. "It seems your friend is still here." He starts to move Hinageshi, making her scream.

Yusuke looks pissed and rushes at him. "Yamero, temee!"

Yakumo makes Hinageshi fly into Yusuke's arms, making him lose his balance and fall on his ass with a cry of surprise. Yakumo walks up to the duo with predatory slowness, smirking all the way.

Yusuke gets up, growling, "You really did it now." He rushes at Yakumo and aims a punch, but Yakumo's inhuman speed allows the demon to dodge without effort. "Kono yarou"! Yusuke overbalances and stumbles to a halt before quickly turning around again. "Kuso!"

Yakumo suddenly twists and his knee comes into contact with Yusuke's stomach, making the boy fly into the car in his path, through the hood, engine, and into the front seats with a crash. The collision shatters the glass and dust spews from all the openings. Yusuke gets up a bit with strain, but it is enough to make the demon lord thoughtful. "Hn. You are not a normal human, are you? You must be a tool of the Reikai."

Yusuke lunges at the closed door three times in hesitant succession before bursting through it and shattering the glass as the door flies off its hinges. Yusuke quickly stumbles to his feet, clutching his stomach, and uses the battered car's hood to hoist himself upright again. A few scratches mar his face, and he seems really hurt. "Temee, nani mon da!" he demands. He stays upright without support, merely clutching his stomach.

Yakumo's eyes widen formidably and he smirks. "Meikai no o, Yakumo da."

Finally capable of moving on her own, Hinageshi peeks from around the corner. "Yakumo..." she whispers. Her eyes widen with recognition. "aitsu ga!"

Yusuke walks up to the man. "Iku ze Yakumo!" He points his right hand like a gun and steadies it with his other hand. A bluish glow envelops his hand. "Rei Gan!"He fires a cannon-like beam from his fingertip, but a red barrier protects the Meikai king. "Aah! It didn't get through!" _DAMMIT!_

Yakumo merely looks pissed off. "Your spiritual power is nothing." He raises his right hand, making the hand make a cracking noise. "Get out of here!" He opens his hand as it is engulfed in a pink glow, and a wave rushes over all in its path. Yusuke tries to block the power from his face with his left forearm as he turns his face away, but he quickly decides to press forward. The energy restricts his movement painfully, making him rear up as he clutches himself with a shout. The energy crackles around him and makes him collapse to his knees and face-first to the cement, unconscious, as Yakumo walks away.

After the ferrywoman is certain of Yakumo's wide distance between them, Hinageshi runs to Yusuke's side and pulls his head into her lap. "Yusuke! Daijoubu!"

Yakumo approaches the Fire site and raises his hand. A white-pink glow is emitted from his hand before jutting out in a pink stream, obliterating the site in an explosion with minimal effort. Pink energy erupts from the site, and Hinageshi shakes her fallen comrade once.

"Yusuke!" She looks at Yakumo with confusion. "Yakumo, king of the Meikai... But why is he...?"

Yakumo gives a small burst of energy to stir up the pillar, and then lowers his hand. The pillar erupts like a tornado from the parking center, sending debris flying, before swirling up into its pillar form, turning bright red before turning pink with a flash of gold. Yakumo watches the display of power for a moment before turning his head to his victims. Languidly, he turns around the rest of the way and approaches them, as if to finish the two off.

Yusuke has awoken and sits up, mentally ready to fight again if need be, his teeth bared. Hinageshi holds onto his shoulders from behind him. As Yakumo's shadow covers them, Yusuke suddenly looks away, clenching his teeth and eyes shut, and Hinageshi hides from the demon beyond the muscular form. Yakumo approaches a few more steps before smirking and disappearing into thin air.

Hinageshi looks at the aged street-punk concernedly. The man's body shakes and his fist clenches as he slams his fist into the cement, breaking it. "K-K'so!"

* * *

Waves crash against each other, and light streams down to the surface before being reflected right back upward again, and the rays of light are few and far-between, due to the dark clouds overhead. Yakumo stands atop a tall rock, his cloak billowing in the wind. A vicious wave crashes up against his rock, getting his clothing, but somehow not soaking it. 

"The power sphere..." he murmurs, his voice echoing powerfully through the sky. "source of our energy... Plundered in the past by the Reikai..."

Another wave crashes upward, veiling his face, and he's still dry. His short hair flutters in his face, near piercing gold eyes. "Once it has been returned, our hopes will finally be realized. The leaders of the Reikai must have hidden it well. They would not let it be protected by such small fry. Doko da?"

And in the Reikai the tower of Enma is enveloped in dark pink light, and underwater.

"Doko ni kakushita?"

End Day 25 Afternoon

**

* * *

**

Started: 7/13/04 11:51AM Finished: 7/14/04 12:45AM

Chotto matte yo! Hold on a minute!

Are wa... It's...

Yusuke, isogu! Let's hurry, Yusuke!

Itai kore wa...! What the...!

Nan da te! What!

Yoshi. Okay.

Isoge! Hurry up!

Meikaichi. Netherworld demons.

Yamero! (in this case) Hold it!

Chigau. No.

Yamero, temee! Stop, you!

Kono yarou! You bastard!

Temee, nani mon da! Who are you!

Meikai no o, Yakumo da. I am Yakumo, king of the Meikai.

Yakumo aitsu ga! It's Yakumo!

Iku ze Yakumo! Here we go, Yakumo!

Doko da? Where is it?

Doko ni kakushita? Where did they hide it?


	41. Day 25b Elemental Sites Part 1

10 Years of Waiting

by Kurohi Tatsaki

Day 25b - Elemental Sites Part 1

Disclaimer - I don't own YYH; am not making money off this; am not Yoshihiro Togashi. Kurohi, Yamiryuinu, Shirokoori, all the other original characters I Kohaku Frost come up with are property of Beware of Mage Tsuki Ryu Productions (AKA, myself and Kohaku Frost ;). Use our characters without permission we will be pissed.

Major note about the punctuation: For some reason, I can't use a question mark and then an exclamation point, or two question marks and an exclaimation point, or one question mark and two exclamation points. I hope you readers can infer the marks where they go...

* * *

In the darkness of night, one can see a Meikai pillar in the distant city, piercing through the black clouds with its haunting light-rose glow. It's a shame and yet a blessing that normal ningen can't see it, spared from the oddities of the corrupted Spiritual World energy. 

Several swans of the purest of white sleep in the lake, their heads resting against their sides without pain due to their long, elegant necks. However, something disturbs them from their rest, and they quickly fly off with quacks of alarm.

Kuwabara races loudly across the thin land to a connected, round peninsula that is base to a small cave, footsteps echoing loudly and soundly against the soil beneath his shoes.

A shadow that doesn't belong to him suddenly seems to appear beside him, racing with him.

"Kuwabara!"

The redhead stops just before he reaches the site and blinks at the forming shadow, the lines from its flight quickly fading to reveal the figure of elegance and relatively short stature before him.

Sharp blue-violet eyes gaze back at him, accented by dark blue hair that drifts as if by its own wind before it settles calmly against its back. The figure's armor is on, forming horns just above its ears that spread outwards like a magnificent dragon's, and a small red gem sits in the center of the light-gray headgear. Winged-stone armor rests on its shoulders and crosses over a male, bare chest, revealing the tattoo on his back and breasts in all its glory. "Hey," he greets, smiling. Long fangs peek out and overlap slightly at his bottom lip.

"Kurohi! Where've ya been?" he greets back, thwacking the half-god's arm.

"Trying to find him," comes the enigmatic response. "His presence seems to stop here." His form ripples, and he makes a questioning sound. In a low flash, his body returns to its usual normal of spiky brown and silver hair with deep sapphire eyes, having the long orange tail with black stripes, and casual blue clothes. He shrugs at the unconscious change. "I guess my other form wishes to surprise him," he mused with a chuckle, toying with his dragon sword at his side.

"Do whatever," replied Kuwabara with a slight roll of his eyes. "Now, do you wanna help me open the site?"

Kurohi nods once and follows the taller man to the site. As they stand before it, the redhead holds his chin thoughtfully as no particular ideas on how to unlock the power come to mind. The site within the cave looks like a small temple.

_This must be the elemental site of the Soul._ He cracks his knuckles, as if to bash it open. The younger-looking warrior looks almost alarmed at this show that usually occurs before a fist fight, but at the man's relaxed demeanor, Kurohi, too, relaxes slender shoulders that he had not realized were tense. "All right, time to open it up."

A small ripple occurs within the green-tinted lake, followed by a small amount of bubbles. Curious at the sound - and showing it on his face, too - Kuwabara turns to the source. He walks toward it, followed by the high A-Class demon at a reasonable distance.

"Nan da?" (What's that?)

"That's what I'd like t'know," replies Kurohi, standing beside the older-looking man. "After all, water is not my forte."

Once they near it, the bubbles surge upward like the light pillars, startling Kuwabara - but not Kurohi, because he senses Youki - and then even more when it becomes nearly tripled in size and height. Kurohi frowns at the oddity, how water could rush and defy gravity as it is. Kuwabara cautiously looks at it closely, his shock quickly disappearing in place of curiosity. To fuel it, he raises his right hand about level with his face to influence the moving water's duller reflection. He then walks away a little, his eyes always on the water; then he quickly zooms back in on it, giving it a suspicious, sideways gaze with a slight sniff.

Kurohi raises an eyebrow at the childish display, casually folding his arms against his stomach, his tail curling at his feet. _Humans can be so funny... In any case, it seems he's having fun._

Quickly, Kurohi's companion flips his hair up and keeps it that way while he opens his mouth wide, sticks out his tongue, and makes a strange "belobelobaah!" noise. His reflection does not move with him. Instead, it closes its eyes and aims its face downward cockily.

"Hmph. Baka wa omoshido." (Fools are amusing.)

Smirking, Kurohi pipes in, "Aa, yatsura wa." (Yeah, they are.) _I know it's him – his youki is so similar to mine it ain't funny. I sense a copycat... He MUST be...!_

Kuwabara jumps back in shock or fright – Kurohi couldn't tell which was best the description - and into a defensive battle stance, stealing a glance at Kurohi. His big blue eyes are shining with a strange emotion, and he looks almost sadistic. His Youki is spewing around his body, licking frostily at any enemy who dares to come too close.

He turns back to his enemy, his back shivering at the icy energy flowing from his companion's body, and the softly-masked youki of his opponent. Both youki had a sort of quiet power, just begging to be released. "N-Nan da temee wa!" (W-Who are you?)

The strange reflection chuckles as it steps out of the water, revealing the feminine-like blue-haired demon god. He props one hand on his slender hip. His armor looks clunky, and he also wears dark blue cloth-like material on his arms and torso. His gold eyes shine predatorily. "I am Majari, one of the three demon gods of the Meikai." Stepping forward a bit more, he continues to talk in his slightly-high male voice. "I shall destroy that elemental site."

"Nan da to?" retorts Kuwabara, growling out the last syllable. (What did you say?) "You think I'll let you do that?" –

Kurohi watches the exchange curiously, but his energy growing colder.

- "I shall kill anyone in my way," he says, cocking his head to one side, narrowing his eyes, and smirking.

The redhead growls, "Aren't you superior?" He holds out his right hand. "Rei Keeen!" A glowing orange sword materializes in his hand. His stance is more of a casual stance, rather than on his guard.

Majari seems to pout his lip a bit, but the rest of his face looks interested "Ohh... Looks interesting."

Kuwabara looks down at Majari sideways. "Yaruuu!" (Bastard!) He starts to lunge, but Majari brings up his right hand.

"Rei Ken!" he pronounces, forming a green light in his hand, shocking Kuwabara into stumbling back. No where in his travels had he ever seen someone that could copy another's abilities. It was almost shocking to see such a rough, yet graceful, reflection of his sword, such a sword, which had saved him more times than he cared to count. It was disheartening to see it in the hands of such a demon.

"Nani!" _What the hell!_

Majari forms a green Spirit Sword in his hand and chuckles. He holds the sword closer to him. "Let me show you what I'm known for." He holds up the sword and twirls it around with his arm and wrist, the sword in his hand hissing with every movement. Perhaps, it didn't like its master. "I can mirror my opponents." His eyes narrow sinisterly before he seems triumphant. "I have copied your skills and your ideas. You have no chance at victory." He swings it once, stopping just as far as his arm goes down, but his wrist holds the weapon upward.

Kuwabara shakes his fist at Majari. "Say that after we've fought!"

"Yamero, Kuwabara!" the odd voice of Kurohi growls, getting in front of Kuwabara, throwing one arm out to further stop his friend. His short fangs bare themselves, and he glares at his father. His hair seems to flutter with his emotions. "You open the site... while I take care of this horrible excuse for a kami no youkai!"

"Oh, uh, sure!" Kuwabara steps back a moment, puts away his sword, and starts to tend to the site.

Majari turns his head slightly, his pale face accented by violet lipstick and eye shadow. "How dare you talk to me that way, you insignificant whelp! I shall kill you!" He narrows his eyes.

Kurohi smirks, flowing into a stance that most humans use when they're tired of running, hands bracing himself by his thighs. His long tail flicks around. "Under normal circumstances, you can chase me anywhere, and you'll never catch me! Not even if you try for over a million years!" He brings out his right hand, grinning at his father. "Now, let me show you what I'm known for! REI KEEEEN!" A blue aura forms around his hand before materializing as a shining blue saber.

Majari's stares apathetically. "So?"

Still smirking, the son replies in a replication of his father's tone, "I can mirror my opponents. I have copied your skills and your ideas. You have no chance at victory." _Brute strength and dexterity._

"N—Nani!"

"Dumbass," Kurohi retorts, languidly swinging his sword and eyeing it a little. He could feel the power coursing through him, and he'd be damned if it didn't even tempt him to swing it around. "If it weren't for my father, impregnating my mother, Tokiai, I would never have this power... and such a curse... Now, put two and two together, or must I talk to you using your dust-collecting title, hm?"

Tokiai... my lover...! Could this boy be...! But he doesn't even look like me! ...He looks like... her... No! It MUST be a coincidence!

He gasps slightly as Kurohi's body ripples, making a near-perfect image of himself, but there were major flaws with the reproduction. The hair is slightly longer and more aerial in body, arching just so that parts of the headgear are not visible. Dark violet-blue eyes glow from behind the bangs with a predatory gleam, enhanced by light blue eye shadow. His figure is slightly bulkier than his own. He also does not wear anything under the armor on his torso, and then, his eyes glow with sadness as well. "Because of my birth, I have been through much, Father. I have nearly died several times in my half-god life, having no protection for even a moment. Not even from those I was supposed to trust! Mother died trusting and protecting me, and all I could do was watch as she breathed her last! Even my lame excuse for a half-brother has tried to kill me! And now..." The Rei Ken in his hand flares up to life, becoming longer. "I am going to use your own ideas against you!" _...just like I did a long time ago, when I defeated my first dragon!_ "Kagosh'na!" (Prepare yourself!)

He flits over and swings his sword, the blade cutting right into his father's arm, sending the god to the ground with the simple vacuum effect. "This is sad, Father," he says, looking down at the prostrating form of his dad. Majari slowly sits up only to have the flaming blue blade aimed between his eyes. "With one thrust, I can kill you, and I'm only a half-god." His own blue eyes narrow, and his hand jerks forward slightly, piercing the other man's forehead just slightly, but only enough to create a small cut. He slowly realizes that he can't move his arm any further. His eyes widen and he drops the Rei Ken to stare at his hand. Upon impact, the Rei Ken sizzles and then disappears. _I have never failed to defeat my opponent before... so... why do I hesitate? Why does a dull pain rattle my mind at the thought! It makes no sense! I barely even know him! So why-_ "GHK!" he chokes as Majari's hand closes over his throat.

"Kurohi!" he hears Kuwabara yell.

Blue-violet eyes dilate and narrow with anger.

"You are nothing but an imposter of me! A poorly-created one as well!" he snarls, aiming the green saber at his son's head. "You look NOTHING like me!"

"Imposter! I am... **ME**! I'm... **NOT**... YOU!" he retorts, bringing up his hands to remove his father's from this throat. "Leggo...!" he snarls, showing his fully-formed fangs. "Yame...ro!" He twists around and then sinks his teeth into the closest wrist he can find. Majari snaps back his hand just as Kurohi rolls backward and lands on all fours a few paces away, blue-tinted hair fluttering across his back and down his shoulders. "Oh, don't you know my name yet!"

"I do not need to know the name of who I kill," comes the languid reply as he licks at his injured hand.

Kurohi smirks and draws himself up to his full height. "I remember every detail of my mother, your lover, which you abandoned so long ago! She had bright violet eyes that could soothe even MY frightened soul! My name is as it is because supposedly, my eyes burn with a cold flame, and her hair is long and contains the shade of bronze. However, from you, I obtained THIS form! Now get it through your thick skull that I am your KIN! I am Kurohi: the half Meikai god and Tsuki Ryu, of you and your LOVER!" _He has to believe me. My mother was full-Tsuki Ryu. Majari... my father... is full-Meikai god... And putting those together, I fully know exactly who and what I am! He HAS to believe me!_

"You...! You liar!" Majari growls, brandishing the Rei Ken again. "I'll kill you for talking about my lover with such contempt!" He swings.

Cool blue-violet eyes lose their reflection of the moon and stars, taking on the tint of darkness. "Sou ka..." He brandishes his sword, drawing it from the scabbard, and blocks the blow. His eyes narrow in confusion at what meets his gaze.

_My sword has not transformed... Why?_ Indeed, the katana, that normally springs erratically, has remained straight and slender, a gray dragon decorated upon the blade, the tail making up the hilt. A pulse flutters across his hand; several strings flow from the bottom of the handle and, tied to them, are the scales of the most powerful moon dragon ever to live: Kurendatsu.

A loud pulse races through his fingertips and he deflects his father's attack, slowly making the Meikai kami lose ground.

_...I don't want to kill you. Too much death has occurred in my life. Too much pain._

An opening presents itself; he takes it, sharp pains lancing through his back quite suddenly. He started to smell his blood... Perhaps it was the pulsing of the odd heart within his fingertips; perhaps it was his own heart pounding in his chest?

"HAAAA!"

Everything seems to slow down. A shadow slowly casts itself over himself and his enemy, spreading wide...

* * *

The stars twinkle above, many among the infinite darkness of space. The bridges below glow with artificial light atop poles mounting deep in the ground, illuminating a dark figure as he stands atop a commercial building, his arms behind his back. 

Hiei was never fond of cities to begin with. They were too crowded; too noisy and smelly. He well-preferred the crisp, clear scents of the Makai over the smoggy, choking smoke of pollution. All that cities were good for were buying new rubber bands and sweet-snow... and finding a random person for information on the off chance that such action ever is required.

All in all, he hated where he stood, but as long as Kurama was with him, he didn't care so much.

Kurama lit the flame in his heart; Kurama WAS his heart, and held onto it for at a minimum of ten years. Amazing.

But, such sentiments were beside the point of his mission; Hiei shook his head slightly and briefly scanned his surroundings. _All right... Where is it...?_

Buildings sit below the bridges, and cars drive mindlessly across the tall bridges. The wind blows his cloak, and we can see the red inner lining. Parts of his hair look blue in the darkness. Hiei turns his head, red eyes looking downward, and his Jagan glows a neon green color. It sees through obscurities and he can see the next site, illuminated with white amidst the green, as all objects he sought were illuminated as.

"Asoko da!" (It's over there!) he murmurs to himself. He hops off his perch in silence, arms outward, but his cloak billows noisily.

A red-haired demon that could be mistaken for a vampire with its gray cloak, deep red, almond-shaped eyes and pale complexion busts through the left-building's glass window and flies at him, glass flying outward only to fall like oil-saturated feathers. Ruby eyes widen and the Jaganshi turns to the enemy, twisting just in time to dodge enemy's dagger and only have part of his cloak severed. He feels fortunate that it was not his gut that just was sliced. Both of them fly backward, and after the Jaganshi falls a barely even two stories, he turns his head to look behind him, sensing youki, some of his shorter hair strands whipping his face, and the longer strands flapping above him.

The demon behind him has light blue hair and a dagger, and hops upward in midair to dodge Hiei's fist.

He comes to a halt leaning against the window, his fingers splayed out to increase the contact and perhaps improve his uncanny balance. He doesn't dare draw his katana in such a position, but he is sorely tempted to. He glares up at his enemy even as the blue-haired one hops to the opposite side, and he looks up in alarm as the "vampire" demon descends upon him. He dodges forward while twisting around to see his original enemy, but looks back at his newest enemy in alarm as the mint-haired one descends upon him, too, and he barely falls fast enough to dodge.

They land in the busy street, and the two demons hop up at Hiei again, and they perform an X-strike, but Hiei dodges backward out of danger. It seems to frustrate his enemies.

However, a car and three semis suddenly collide into one-another at the disturbance with a shock of fire and red and brown smoke, trying not to hit any of the three demons, for, at the glance, they were seemingly humans that had just landed upon the ground out of nowhere. Hiei lands just after the first car passes and hops away again, both of the Meikai lesser demons in pursuit.

Hiei draws his sword at the demon and parries the blow with ease. "Don't mess with me!"

Hiei parries the redhead's left-handed horizontal blow with a vertical one of his own and hops upward as the demon strikes downward as the other demon hops up into the air and slashes at Hiei, but the blow is parried again, for the Jaganshi is a formidable swordsman to reckon with. The first enemy hops upward as the other demon lands and strikes, but Hiei dodges, and once the first and second are down at the ground, Hiei swings his sword at the redhead before raising the blade and slicing downward at the mint-haired demon. The redhead falls off the side of the highway bridge and lands on a "5Km to Ginza" sign in a crouching position, the blade in its left hand pointed downward. With a wordless battle cry, Hiei flies downward and slices the enemy in half horizontally at the stomach, blood splattering in all directions.

The mint-haired demon lunges and pierces Hiei's back just below the shoulders with its own battle cry, blood flying. The demon allows himself a small smirk just before the stunned, dead warrior disappears out of nowhere.

Jaganshi Hiei appears, descending from behind his enemy from above, sword out and ready. He smirks, black and white hair framing his round face nicely, as parts of his hair have come out of the ponytail. "Hn!"

The mint-haired demon turns around, shock evident in its almond-shaped, pupil-less green eyes. An instant later, the demon boredly cuts his opponent in two at the stomach, killing it. Hiei's cloak and hair billow in the wind, his red eyes wide with the adrenaline from battle, but his breathing unbelievably calm, his sword pointed down at a relaxed angle and his free left hand clenched at his side.

_It's over... for now._ He allows himself a tired smile of satisfaction. _...I wonder how Kurama is faring._

After a moment, a Meikai demon god with one normal eye, one artificial left eye, and wearing a black cloak appears in a shadow's blur. Noticing the new energy, so proudly flaunted, Hiei looks back with a soft gasp, his red eyes wider than normal, the only expression of his surprise. Suddenly, from the demon's upper head, a vertical, red, pupil-less eye opens wide, and its master sends out a powerful command, sending Hiei, screaming in one long syllable, into the opposite building and shattering the glass upon impact. The force is high enough to ricochet the small swordsman off of the broken glass, and send him plummeting into the river below with a splash. It doesn't seem that he will surface for a few moments.

The eye turns back to green, and the three-eyed Meikai Demon God chuckles in satisfaction, his cloak billowing in the breeze.

* * *

Started: 7/14/04 3:50AM Finished: 2/20/05 10:06PM 

Thank you ALL for the reviews! Augh, I hate getting behind on my stories (and writers' block...) I am sorry for the serious delay (and the bit of cliff-hanger). I haven't been in much of a YuYuHakusho mood lately, but know this: This fic isn't over until it says, "The End!" Hmm... if I get around to it (since I'm working on a similar thing for Quarter-Demon) who would like to see a 10YoW videogame for RPGMaker 2000, 2003, or XP? Jeez, I'm going to be so loaded if I decide to do both... I've wanted to do a 10YoW game for, like, ever, but I've never gotten around to it. I think I will use 2003, though, just because I don't want to have to keep toying with the RGSS of RPGMaker XP. Oh, and, lately, I draw Kurohi's hair down rather than weirdly-spiked. It just got too tiresome, I guess, and I guess I got tired of counting the spikes on his head.


End file.
